Our bodies are home to trillions of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and a whole host of others. Now, Stanford scientists have discovered an entirely new class of biological entities inside us, which they've ominously named "Obelisks."

Researchers in the United States have shown that genes from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - can be integrated into the genome of infected human cells. The team says the viral RNA can be expressed as chimeric transcripts with fused cellular and viral sequences.

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has largely defied attempts to contain its spread by non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). With the massive loss of life and economic damage, the only way out, in the absence of specific antiviral therapeutics, has been the development of vaccines to achieve population immunity.

CRISPR-Cas systems have revolutionized genome editing, and the CRISPR-Cas toolkit has been expanding to include single-base editing enzymes, targeting RNA and fusing inactive Cas proteins to effectors that regulate various nuclear processes. Consequently, CRISPR-Cas systems are being tested for gene and cell therapies.

Seeing cells through a DNA lens, bringing new autism genes to the forefront, mining tuberculosis mutants for new treatment options, and more.