In the News
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Utah Public Radio Friday, Jun. 05, 2026
Could cave bacteria help cure cancer? A USU discovery suggests they might
Utah State University scientists recently unveiled a new type of CRISPR biotechnology with the ability to selectively target and shred the DNA of cancerous cells.
“The immune system of cave bacteria holds the cure for cancer," said Ryan Jackson, an associate professor of biochemistry at USU.
“Did I know that we were going to discover this?" Jackson continued. "Absolutely not, but I did know when I started working here at Utah State that bacterial immune systems could hold new biotech.”
He’s referring to a new breakthrough in biotechnology that he and his team discovered. It’s called Cas12a2 and it’s a type of CRISPR nuclease. But first off, what is CRISPR anyway?