Gladstone Institutes Develops Retron-Powered Genome Editing for Diverse Bacterial Species
Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes have successfully expanded the use of retron-based DNA editing systems beyond Escherichia coli to 14 additional bacterial species. This development, published in Nature Biotechnology, marks a significant advancement in genome editing technology. Retrons, which are bacterial immune elements, have been engineered into portable genome editing modules called recombitrons. These modules have shown the ability to install precise edits in the prokaryotic chromosome across various bacterial species. The study involved a collaboration of nine labs and demonstrated the functionality of recombitrons in species such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are clinically relevant pathogens, as well as biotechnology strains like Vibrio natriegens. The editing efficiencies varied, but the research provides a framework for further optimization and application in diverse bacterial contexts. 
