Anthropic Says Claude Helped Discover New CRISPR-Like Enzyme System

Anthropic says its AI model Claude helped researchers identify a previously unknown enzyme system with properties similar to CRISPR, marking one of the company’s first major results from its biology research efforts.

The discovery came from Anthropic’s Bay Area biology lab, where researchers use AI models to assist with scientific experiments and analysis. Anthropic described the research and Claude’s role in identifying the enzyme system.

AI Model Helped Analyse Biological Data

According to Anthropic, the newly identified system was found in bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria. Researchers say the enzyme system appears capable of biological functions similar to CRISPR, including operations involving cutting, copying, and modifying DNA.

CRISPR is a natural bacterial defence system that has become a widely used gene-editing technology. Anthropic said the broader scientific community will need to evaluate the significance of the finding.

Human Scientists Conducted the Experiments

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said the discovery was made mostly, though not entirely, with help from Claude. He noted that previous research, including work from Stanford researchers, had identified related biological systems. Amodei discussed the discovery and Claude’s involvement publicly.

Anthropic said Claude analysed large amounts of biological information using hundreds of AI agents. The company said the AI system contributed to the research process, but human scientists performed the physical laboratory experiments.

The company said its biology lab operates at lower biosafety levels and does not work with pathogens that can infect humans.

AI Biology Research Expands Across Academia

Anthropic’s work comes as researchers at universities and technology companies increasingly explore AI-assisted biology. Stanford researchers have studied AI in CRISPR-related research, while scientists at the University of California, San Francisco have used AI approaches to design new enzymes.

Anthropic researchers shared additional discussion about the AI biology work.

Stanford researchers have explored AI applications in CRISPR and gene therapy research. UCSF researchers have also investigated AI-designed enzymes.

Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold system previously demonstrated how AI could assist biological research by predicting protein structures, helping researchers better understand proteins and their functions. AlphaFold has become a widely recognised example of AI being applied to scientific discovery.

Future of AI-Controlled Biology

Anthropic said fully automated AI-controlled biology experiments are not currently part of its work. Amodei has suggested that future systems could potentially operate laboratory equipment with appropriate safeguards, but the company says human researchers remain responsible for current experiments.

The discovery highlights AI’s growing role in biological research while raising questions about validation, safety, and the limits of AI-assisted scientific discovery for the broader research community.