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Scientists just cracked the code to editing entire chromosomes flawlessly
A group of Chinese scientists has created powerful new tools that allow them to edit large chunks of DNA with incredible accuracy—and without leaving any trace. Using a mix of advanced protein design, AI, and clever genetic tweaks, they’ve overcome major limitations in older gene editing methods. These tools can flip, remove, or insert massive pieces of genetic code in both plants and animals. To prove it works, they engineered rice that’s resistant to herbicides by flipping a huge section of its DNA—something that was nearly impossible before.
The study, published online in Cell on August 4, achieves multiple types of precise DNA manipulations ranging from kilobase to megabase scale in higher organisms, especially plants. These platforms allow flexible programming of insertion positions and orientations for different Lox sites, enabling precise, scarless manipulation of DNA fragments ranging from kilobase to megabase scale in both plant and animal cells. As a proof of concept, the researchers used this technology to create herbicide-resistant rice germplasm with a 315-kb precise inversion, showcasing its transformative potential for genetic engineering and crop improvement.
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