Anthropic's Claude AI Discovers Novel CRISPR-Like Enzymatic System

Anthropic researchers utilized 950 Claude AI agents to analyze vast DNA sequences, leading to the discovery of a previously unknown enzymatic system named ART (array-associated reverse transcriptases). Operating over 21 hours and processing 210 million tokens, the AI identified this system within bacteriophage DNA, which features a genetic structure resembling CRISPR. The discovery, announced on September 23, 2026, highlights the potential for AI to accelerate biological research, with experts like Feng Zhang from MIT calling for further investigation into the system's unknown functions.