Scientists have uncovered more than 1,700 new proteins that could have implications for human diseases, including cancer. Mostly very small, these proteins were found in what’s called the ‘dark proteome’, which covers gene products from previously overlooked sections of DNA. These proteins have unusual properties, motivating scientists to coin a new concept, peptideins, to help understand their potentially unique biology. Their findings are being shared with scientists worldwide in an open-source format to stimulate further research.

The new technology deploys a recently discovered CRISPR protein, Cas12a2, which acts like a paper shredder. When activated by a specific genetic target, it rips the genome apart, a lethal move that researchers can program to destroy harmful virus-infected cells or cancer cells.