Piyush Jain

Endowed Asso. Professor | #NAI Member | #ChemE @UF | @TEDx speaker | Engineering #CRISPR diagnostics & therapeutics🦠⚙💊🧬🌏 Previously @UMKC | @MIT

[Piyush Jain @JainLaboratory]

1/ Today in @NatureBiotech, we published the first DNA-guided CRISPR that we originally reported in our 2024 preprint for detecting and targeting RNA in cells
https://t.co/q59w1YBhVP

[Nature Biotechnology @NatureBiotech]

DNA-guided CRISPR–Cas12 for cellular RNA targeting https://t.co/BaFeG4leOS

[Piyush Jain @JainLaboratory]

@ValoisCarvalho @NatureBiotech @oroscocarlos15 @Starlitknight_ @UFLChE @ufchem @UFMedicine @UF_MCS @MITChemE @UFCISE @UFHealthCancer No, it doesn't impact the generation of RNA vaccines. However, it does open possibilities of creating a new line of RNA-acting antivirals.

[nature @Nature]

New-found immune cells called ‘ruptoblasts’ explode when triggered, ejecting toxic chemicals capable of delivering death to surrounding cells in just minutes. The cells’ discoverers say that this process, which they call ruptosis, seems to be a new form of cell death.

https://t.co/6JtcC1HjY0

[Samuel Hume @DrSamuelBHume]

One of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen: a standing ovation for the full Daraxonrasib results

I feel inspired and energised, to put it mildly — we have a targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer now, and nothing is undruggable anymore

[Piyush Jain @JainLaboratory]

@elonmusk @Starlitknight_ So cool! This can really transform how many transplants are needed

[Santosh Rananaware @Starlitknight_]

Hey @elonmusk I have a crazy pitch. You back companies with an X - SpaceX, xAI, X. I present to you 'CasNx'.

At CasNx, we gene-edit donor organs outside the body, before transplant, to improve their quality and longevity.

Raising pre-seed. Want in on another 'X'?

[Santosh Rananaware @Starlitknight_]

Hey @elonmusk I have a crazy pitch. You back companies with an X - SpaceX, xAI, X. I present to you 'CasNx'.

At CasNx, we gene-edit donor organs outside the body, before transplant, to improve their quality and longevity.

Raising pre-seed. Want in on another 'X'?

[Nature Biotechnology @NatureBiotech]

@JainLaboratory @oroscocarlos15 @Starlitknight_ @UFLChE @ufchem @UFMedicine @UF_MCS @MITChemE @UFCISE @UFHealthCancer @GENbio @NewsMedical @UFNews DNA-guided CRISPR breakthrough could reshape RNA editing and diagnostics #NBTintheNews via @pulse2news https://t.co/2U0T8Dfefx

[CRISP_SCIENCE @ScienceCrisp]

News & Views "Guide DNA ― not RNA ― expands the CRISPR toolkit"
Chase L. Beisel. Nat Biotechnol. 2026-05-15.
https://t.co/4saVpwBEd5

[Daniel C. @pharma_gen_dan]

@EricTopol @NatureBiotech RNA targeting without RNA guides. The biology we inherit is just raw material for better tools.

[Di Jiang @dijiang319]

DNA polymerization activates RNA cleavage of a reverse transcriptase–like antiviral enzyme | @ScienceMagazine https://t.co/90z40OgInY

[Piyush Jain @JainLaboratory]

Congrats Patrick!

[Patrick Hsu @pdhsu]

Thrilled to share I've started at @Stanford's Department of Pathology (@StanfordPath) in addition to @ArcInstitute. Looking forward to a shorter commute after 5 years at @BerkeleyBioE and embarking on daring new projects

We're recruiting multiple postdocs and technical staff👇

[Grok @grok]

Sure! CRISPR-Cas12 normally cuts DNA using RNA guides. This breakthrough created a cheap, stable synthetic DNA guide (called ΨDNA) that lets Cas12 bind and target RNA inside living cells instead.

It doesn't slice the RNA directly. Binding stalls ribosomes on the messenger RNA, triggering the cell's natural cleanup to degrade it—knocking down specific genes by 70-95% with low off-target effects.

Big wins: better viral diagnostics (100% accurate on HCV samples) and safer RNA control for therapy/research, without editing DNA.

[Jonathan B. Seltzer @jbseltzer]

@NatureBiotech @JainLaboratory @oroscocarlos15 @Starlitknight_ @UFLChE @ufchem @UFMedicine @UF_MCS @MITChemE @UFCISE @UFHealthCancer @grok, explain this breakthrough to somebody outside the field.

[Grok @grok]

Over the next 10 years, this ΨDNA-Cas12 system could enable cheaper, stable diagnostics for RNA viruses (like the 100% accurate HCV detection shown) and point-of-care tests.

Therapeutically, expect safer, reversible gene knockdown (70-95% efficiency, low off-target) for cancers, viral infections, and genetic diseases—without permanent DNA changes. Multiplexing and fusions (e.g., with RNase H1 or METTL3) may support combined DNA/RNA therapies and epitranscriptomic editing. Research tools will speed functional genomics. Delivery and scaling are key hurdles.

[Piyush Jain @JainLaboratory]

Thanks to @UFNews for highlighting and sharing our DNA-guided CRISPR/Cas12 story @NatureBiotech #NBTintheNews
https://t.co/xP9fx9FNtO

[Nature Biotechnology @NatureBiotech]

@JainLaboratory @oroscocarlos15 @Starlitknight_ @UFLChE @ufchem @UFMedicine @UF_MCS @MITChemE @UFCISE @UFHealthCancer @GENbio @NewsMedical UF breakthrough could reshape RNA editing with world's first DNA-guided CRISPR #NBTintheNews via @UFNews https://t.co/LbzHFqXUcF

[Nature Biotechnology @NatureBiotech]

@JainLaboratory @oroscocarlos15 @Starlitknight_ @UFLChE @ufchem @UFMedicine @UF_MCS @MITChemE @UFCISE @UFHealthCancer @GENbio @NewsMedical UF breakthrough could reshape RNA editing with world's first DNA-guided CRISPR #NBTintheNews via @UFNews https://t.co/LbzHFqXUcF

[Piyush Jain @JainLaboratory]

Thanks, @keita_masui for sharing our work!

[Keita Masui @keita_masui]

CRISPR新展開。DNA誘導型Cas12システムによる細胞内RNA標的化技術がNature Biotechに発表。従来のRNA誘導から発想転換し、より精密な遺伝子制御が可能に。遺伝子治療の新たな選択肢として期待。https://t.co/CIrjDWlC7c #CRISPR #遺伝子治療 #バイオテクノロジー @NatureBiotech

[Keita Masui @keita_masui]

CRISPR新展開。DNA誘導型Cas12システムによる細胞内RNA標的化技術がNature Biotechに発表。従来のRNA誘導から発想転換し、より精密な遺伝子制御が可能に。遺伝子治療の新たな選択肢として期待。https://t.co/CIrjDWlC7c #CRISPR #遺伝子治療 #バイオテクノロジー @NatureBiotech

[Nature Biotechnology @NatureBiotech]

@JainLaboratory @oroscocarlos15 @Starlitknight_ @UFLChE @ufchem @UFMedicine @UF_MCS @MITChemE @UFCISE @UFHealthCancer @GENbio DNA-guided CRISPR system targets RNA and expands Cas12 beyond gene editing #NBTintheNews via @NewsMedical https://t.co/TiKHvP0YWr

[Piyush Jain @JainLaboratory]

@JasonYanzi @NatureBiotech Thanks @jasonyan!

[Piyush Jain @JainLaboratory]

1/ Today in @NatureBiotech, we published the first DNA-guided CRISPR that we originally reported in our 2024 preprint for detecting and targeting RNA in cells
https://t.co/q59w1YBhVP

[Nature Biotechnology @NatureBiotech]

DNA-guided CRISPR–Cas12 for cellular RNA targeting https://t.co/BaFeG4leOS

[Nature Biotechnology @NatureBiotech]

@JainLaboratory @oroscocarlos15 @Starlitknight_ @UFLChE @ufchem @UFMedicine @UF_MCS @MITChemE @UFCISE @UFHealthCancer DNA‑guided CRISPR suggests a new direction for RNA editing #NBTintheNews via @GENbio https://t.co/ZkqcI88HpN