Genetic engineering articles from across Nature Portfolio

Rhizosphere microbiomes are shaped by both the environment and the host. A recent study of the maize microbiome reveals how plants recruit a specific microbiome to alleviate abiotic stress, and provides clues for precision microbiome engineering in agriculture.

AAV vectors form difficult-to-detect concatemers at Cas9 target sites.

UFObow is a single-wavelength excitable Brainbow technique, incorporating three newly developed blue-excitable fluorescent proteins. This method facilitates mapping of immune cells’ spatial distribution at a single-cell resolution.

The unification of decision-making, communication, and memory would enable the programming of intelligent biotic systems. Here, the authors achieve this goal by engineering E. coli chassis cells with an array of inducible recombinases that mediate diverse genetic programs.

Fungi have the potential to produce sustainable foods for a growing population, but current products are based on a small number of strains with inherent limitations. Here, the authors develop genetic tools for an edible fungus and engineer its nutritional value and sensory appeal for alternative meat applications.

Mouse B cells can be reprogrammed via Cas12a to express human antibodies that when affinity-matured in recipient mice generate broader and more potent antibody variants.

For a postdoctoral fellowship, it’s advisable to be selective about lab choice and to be clear about expectations.

Rhizosphere microbiomes are shaped by both the environment and the host. A recent study of the maize microbiome reveals how plants recruit a specific microbiome to alleviate abiotic stress, and provides clues for precision microbiome engineering in agriculture.

CRISPR–Cas12a was used to directly replace mouse antibody variable chain genes with human versions in primary B cells. The edited cells underwent affinity maturation in vivo, improving the potency of HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies without loss of bioavailability. Affinity maturation of edited cells also enables new vaccine models and adaptive B cell therapies.

Suda and colleagues explore the enduring consequences of plasma membrane injury in budding yeast and mammalian cells. Their findings highlight that membrane damage induces irreversible cell-cycle arrest and premature cellular senescence, whereas upregulation of plasma membrane repair suppresses them.

A study in Nature Biotechnology reports a platform that combines lentivirus capabilities with antibody recognition for targeted cell delivery and genome editing.