Anthropic says Claude discovered novel CRISPR-like enzyme system in phage DNA

Anthropic said September 23, 2026 its Bay Area biology lab found a previously unknown enzyme "system" with "properties reminiscent of CRISPR," hidden in bacteriophage DNA. The system can cut, copy and paste DNA. CEO Dario Amodei said it was found "mostly, though not entirely, by Claude," with human scientists performing lab validation.