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In a paper published today in Cell researchers from the Broad Institute and University of Tokyo revealed the crystal structure of theStaphylococcus aureus Cas9 complex (SaCas9)—a highly efficient enzyme that overcomes one of the primary challenges to in vivo mammalian genome editing.

First identified as a potential genome-editing tool by Broad Institute core member Feng Zhangand his colleagues (and published by Zhang lab in April 2015), SaCas9 is expected to expand scientists’ ability to edit genomes in vivo. This new structural study will help researchers refine and further engineer this promising tool to accelerate genomic research and bring the technology closer to use in the treatment of human genetic disease.

“SaCas9 is the latest addition to our Cas9 toolbox, and the crystal shows us its blueprint,” said co-senior author Feng Zhang, who in addition to his Broad role, is also an investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and an assistant professor at MIT. “This study shows further paths forward for optimizing this technology for the benefit of global health.”