2026-09-17
Alexandra Despang
While technologies for smaller gene edits, such as base editing, have already entered clinical trials, larger gene cargoes face different challenges, including low editing efficiencies, delivery vehicle size constraints, and possible immunogenicity. Programmable genome engineering systems using recombinases; transposases, including CRISPR-associated transposases (CASTs); genome writing systems; and retrotransposons promise different avenues for therapy, but each system has unique limitations. What are the most promising strategies to further develop these technologies, and which parameters need to be further improved to make them efficient and safe for therapy? We asked three experts in the field to share their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities.
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03319-62026-09-16
Charlotte Harrison
A breast cancer drug linked with a test to detect ESR1 mutations in circulating tumor DNA is one of a wave of new drugs developed to tackle resistance to estrogen-receptor-targeted therapies.
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03333-82026-09-15
Jianqiang Wu
China’s Decree 818 aims to bring hospital-based cell, gene and individualized therapies into the clinic safely. Its success will depend on whether it is consistently applied and whether adverse outcomes are reported, keeping patient safety at the forefront and holding institutions accountable for the results.
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03314-x2026-09-15
A versatile nanopore sensor, created by modifying a bacterial porin, enables the simultaneous identification of amino acids, nucleoside monophosphates, saccharides and peptides. Coupled with machine learning, it achieves 98.7% classification accuracy and enables the compositional analysis of native glycopeptides.
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03322-x2026-09-14
Lang Yao, Zixuan Wang, Jialu Chen, Wen Sun, Kefan Wang, Yunqi Xiao, Hanhan Zhang, Wenzheng Li, Yifan Wang, Lulu Zhao, Xinyi Dai, Lu Qian, Panke Zhang, Shuo Huang
Modified nanopore simultaneously identifies diverse biomolecules and their modifications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03308-92026-09-10
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03313-y2026-09-10
Recent patents relating to systems, methods and compositions for use in synthetic biology.
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03289-92026-09-10
Dario Ummarino
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03312-z2026-07-16
Barry Merriman
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 16 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03248-4 J. Craig Venter 1946–2026]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03248-42026-07-14
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 14 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03241-x First CAR T for solid tumors]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03241-x2026-07-14
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 14 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03232-y Biotech news from around the world]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03232-y2026-07-14
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 14 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03240-y Sangamo exits stage]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03240-y2026-07-13
Li Yao
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 13 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03218-w DeepDETAILS enables cross-modality deconvolution of bulk sequencing samples.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03218-w2026-07-10
Junjie Zhu
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 10 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03227-9 In vivo cytosine base editing is made efficient with potent glycosylase inhibition.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03227-92026-07-10
Hyeon Woo Im
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 10 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03223-z Bystander edits are minimized by engineering an adenosine deaminase acting on RNA for DNA base editing.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03223-z2026-07-06
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 06 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03233-x Hybrid quantum–classical computers will achieve quantum advantage in biotechnology, bridging the time until a full quantum computer becomes available.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03233-x2026-07-03
Yuanfan Sun
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 03 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03246-6 Author Correction: Improved RNA base editing with guide RNAs mimicking highly edited endogenous ADAR substrates]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03246-62026-07-02
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 02 July 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03219-9 We developed the prime editor fPE7max, which is optimized for filamentous fungi and enables precise genome engineering — from single-base substitutions to kilobase-scale insertions and multi-kilobase deletions, across diverse species. Editing of translation-regulatory elements for a pleiotropic metabolic regulator unlocked previously inaccessible biosynthetic pathways and uncovered new fungal metabolites.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03219-92026-06-30
Chunxiao Sun
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 30 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03202-4 fPE7max efficiently installs base substitutions, insertions and deletions to modulate filamentous fungal metabolism.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03202-42026-06-26
Qianxi Wen
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03192-3 Spatial-EV-seq reveals spatial patterns of extracellular vesicles in tissues.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03192-32026-06-26
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03206-0 Spatial-EV-seq is a method for spatially resolved profiling of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in tissues while preserving EVs’ native distribution. By integrating EV mapping with spatial transcriptomics, Spatial-EV-seq enables location-specific analysis of EVs and their communication networks within the tissue microenvironment, establishing a new paradigm in the field of spatial EV biology.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03206-02026-06-23
Luis S. Mille-Fragoso
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 23 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03187-0 Germinal achieves epitope-targeted, de novo complementarity-determining region design with high experimental success rates.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03187-02026-06-19
Kimberley T. Muchenje
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03197-y R2 retrotransposons are used to integrate DNA into plant and crop 25S ribosomal DNA sites.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03197-y2026-06-19
Zahir Ali
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03181-6 Retrotransposons are applied in plants for safe-harbor transgene integration.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03181-62026-06-16
Iris Marchal
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03195-0 Light-powered metabolism in the mammalian eye]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03195-02026-06-16
Iris Marchal
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03196-z Prime assembly uses a Gibson-like strategy for large DNA insertions]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03196-z2026-06-16
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03189-y DeepMind spinout raises $2.1 billion]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03189-y2026-06-04
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 04 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03182-5 The significance of the first FDA-approved PROTAC lies not in proving that targeted protein degradation is superior to conventional therapies, but in proving that degrading proteins is possible as a therapeutic.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03182-52026-06-03
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 03 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03159-4 The SONAR system enables RNA-level control of bacterial operons using a single engineered Cas13 effector that can be modified to control transcript degradation, translation inhibition and translation activation through simple changes in crRNA design.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03159-42026-05-29
Kun Meng
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 29 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03158-5 Radio waves are shown to modulate fluorescence and associate spin chemistry in proteins.]]>
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03158-5