Researchers have used an algorithm to search through millions of genomes in order to find new and rare types of CRISPR systems that have the potential to be adapted into genome-editing tools. The algorithm, called FLSHclust, analyzed genetic sequences in public databases and found around 130,000 genes associated with CRISPR, with 188 of them being previously unseen. The researchers carried out experiments on several of the new genes and discovered various strategies that CRISPR systems use to attack bacteriophages. While it is too soon to determine whether these new CRISPR systems will be useful for genetic engineering, they have properties that could prove beneficial.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03697-w