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“Cat1” CRISPR Immune Weapon Halts Viruses by Draining Cells’ Fuel

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New York, USA

May 17, 2025 (Updated: February 13, 2026) 0 Center Neutral I want higher education or upskilling

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TheWkly Analysis

New York, USA: Researchers revealed a novel CRISPR-associated protein named “Cat1,” allowing bacteria to thwart viral invasions by rapidly depleting the cell’s NAD+ (its energy currency). Once activated, Cat1 essentially triggers a “cellular suicide,” preventing phages from replicating. Published in Science, the discovery broadens our understanding of CRISPR beyond DNA-cutting enzymes—some effectors sabotage metabolism instead. Such mechanisms may inspire future biotech approaches to selectively kill infected or cancerous cells by draining essential molecules.

Multiple perspectives analyzed from 2 sources

What this means for you:

•	Biotech’s next wave could harness CRISPR beyond gene editing—think targeted metabolic sabotage for viruses or tumors
•	If you’re in STEM fields, watch for new roles in advanced CRISPR R&D
•	Depleting NAD+ is a double-edged sword—promising but requires careful specificity to avoid harming healthy cells

Key Entities

• CRISPR-Cas: Bacterial immune toolkit originally discovered for gene editing
• Cat1 Protein: Newly characterized effector that consumes NAD+
• Luciano Marraffini Lab: Leading the research at Rockefeller University

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Emphasizes scientific discovery and potential biomedical impact

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