# MIT Built an AI to Find the Next CRISPR. It Found 100 Hidden Bacterial Immune Systems — and 45% Have No Known Mechanism

- slug: mit-built-an-ai-to-find-the-next-crispr-it-found-100-hidden-bacterial-immune-systems-and-45-have
- date: 2026-04-08
- category: Biotech & Life Sciences

DefensePredictor, trained on 17,000 microbial genomes, found 624 bacterial defense proteins; 45% of the novel ones share nothing with existing databases. When the team tested 106 in live bacteria, 42% worked.

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