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When researchers edit genes with CRISPR today, their systems chop a strand of DNA in half before inserting a new gene and allowing a cell’s natural healing mechanisms to patch the strand back up.

That technique works well overall, but it can lead to errors, and the success rate varies depending on the type of cell. Scientists have been on the hunt for better versions of CRISPR for years.

Now, a new protein that can insert custom genes into DNA witho