Bacteria use CRISPR–Cas systems as adaptive defence weapons against attacking phages. A new study shows that under severe stress conditions, Serratia turn off their CRISPR immune system to increase the uptake of potentially beneficial plasmids.
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Christen, B. Stressed Serratia curb CRISPR. Nat Microbiol 6, 149–150 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-020-00848-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-020-00848-x
