AI Refines CRISPR-Cas13d for Safer RNA Editing
Researchers at the Arc Institute have used deep learning to bring new precision to RNA-targeting CRISPR systems.
By testing more than 127,000 CasRx guides, the team trained a model that predicts guide efficiency across different human cell types — and extended it to a new enzyme, DjCas13d, which shows high specificity and minimal toxicity.
The study reveals how machine learning and molecular engineering can merge to design programmable, low-risk RNA therapies.Cell Systems (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2025.10.004
Inflammation Takes Center Stage in Metabolic Disease
A sweeping review in Immunity argues that obesity and type 2 diabetes are best understood as inflammatory disorders.
Marc Donath and Daniel Drucker describe how nutrient overload activates immune sensors like the NLRP3 inflammasome, setting off IL-1β cascades that damage insulin-producing cells.
The authors also spotlight GLP-1 receptor agonists — already staples in diabetes care — for their anti-inflammatory effects that act through both immune and neural circuits.
Metabolism, it seems, is as much about the immune system as about sugar and fat.Immunity (2025), 58(10): 2373–2382. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2025.09.003
Perovskite Edges Exposed at Atomic Resolution
For the first time, scientists have captured atom-by-atom views of the edges and defects in lead halide perovskites, key materials for next-generation solar cells.
Using ultralow-dose four-dimensional STEM ptychography, Biao Yuan, Timothy Pennycook, and colleagues visualized how perovskite edges are capped — mostly by methylammonium and iodine — and how iodine vacancies accelerate material decay.
These atomic clues could guide the design of longer-lasting and more stable perovskite photovoltaics.Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09245-9
Ductile Interfaces Push Solid-State Batteries Further
A team led by Feiyu Kang has engineered a flexible solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) that prevents cracking and dendrite growth in solid-state lithium batteries.
The new SEI forms in situ with Ag₂S and AgF compounds that allow smooth ion transport and structural integrity even under extreme conditions.
Cells built with this interface lasted 4,500 hours at 15 mA cm⁻², and over 7,000 hours at –30 °C — a leap for battery longevity in real-world environments.Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09233-z
How the Brain Keeps Learning Without Losing Itself
A Science study from Jayeeta Basu’s lab reveals how glutamatergic and GABAergic inputs from the lateral entorhinal cortex stabilize the hippocampus during learning.
Excitatory LEC inputs spark activity in the CA3 region but are balanced by feedforward inhibition, while inhibitory LEC pathways release that brake at key moments — preserving both flexibility and long-term stability in memory networks.
This dual control helps the brain maintain consistent spatial maps even as it adapts to new experiences.Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adn0623
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