Scientists at Gladstone Institutes are developing new technologies for genome editing, which can correct mutations that cause disease. To build these technologies, they use parts from bacteria, including bacterial immune systems called retrons.

Seth Shipman and his team recently identified seven new retrons from environmental bacteria by sampling soil and water in nature. Their findings were published in the journal PLOS Biology.

In this video, the researchers explain how they co-opt the retrons’ ability to produce DNA inside cells and combine it with the CRISPR system to create better tools for genome editing, which can one day be used as therapeutics for a range of diseases.

Learn more about research from Seth Shipman’s lab.

Featured Experts

Support Discovery Science

Your gift to Gladstone will allow our researchers to pursue high-quality science, focus on disease, and train the next generation of scientific thought leaders.

Donate Now

Up Next


More News