NYT
The Next Gene-Editing Technology May Also Be the Oldest
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Scientists identified a gene-targeting system called VIPR in viruses that researchers estimate is billions of years old. VIPR appears to predate CRISPR, the widely used gene-editing technology. Researchers characterized VIPR's molecular mechanisms in a study, finding it functions as a gene-targeting system in viral genomes.
Original reporting: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/science/crispr-gene-editing-vipr.html