Scientists have developed fPE7max, a precision genome editing tool that activates dormant drug-producing genes in fungi. The tool helped uncover 18 novel compounds — including three with promising anti-cancer properties. It could open a new, systematic pipeline for drug discovery beyond traditional methods.
Fungi gave us penicillin and statins, yet most of the fungal kingdom remains scientifically unexplored — largely because fungi shut down their drug-producing gene pathways when grown in lab conditions. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science have now developed a new genome editing tool called fPE7max to change that, publishing their findings in Nature Biotechnology.
fPE7max builds on prime editing technology — a more precise alternative to CRISPR-Cas9 that avoids risky double-strand DNA breaks. The team overcame two key hurdles: protecting fragile RNA instructions from degrading during large edits (using a stabilizing protein called fLa), and preventing fungal cells from reverting newly written genetic code back to its original sequence. By using fPE7max to activate a master regulatory gene called laeA, the researchers unlocked silent biosynthetic gene clusters across multiple fungal species, revealing a trove of previously unknown molecules.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: This tool shifts fungal drug discovery from a serendipitous treasure hunt into a systematic science — potentially unlocking a vast, untapped reservoir of life-saving therapeutics already existing in nature.
