CRISPR-Cas systems are best known as adaptive immune defences that protect bacteria and archaea from invading genetic elements—but their biology, diversity and applications reach far beyond targeted DNA cleavage. In this FEMS webinar, featuring authors from microLife, researchers will explore three complementary perspectives on these remarkable systems.
Discover how time-lapse imaging can reveal heterogeneous bacterial growth during Type IV-A1 CRISPR activity, even when defence occurs without degradation of target DNA. Learn how Type II-C systems use distinct molecular strategies to limit potentially disruptive extraneous CRISPR RNAs and optimize immune function. Finally, see how MCAAT, a sensitive assembly-free tool, identifies CRISPR arrays directly from metagenomic data, opening new opportunities to uncover system diversity and investigate spacer evolution.
Bringing together experimental microbiology, bioinformatics and innovative imaging, this webinar offers researchers and students a concise view of how new methods are advancing CRISPR-Cas discovery and deepening our understanding of microbial defence.
Please also read the accompanying Thematic Issue from microLife on CRISPR-Cas functions in defence and beyond
Date: Thursday 1 October 2026
Time: 7:00 AM PST / 10:00 AM EST / 15:00 BST / 16:00 CEST / 23:00 JST
Speakers:
Chair: Joseph Shuttleworth, Marketing & Communications Manager, FEMS
Speaker 1: Lennart Randau, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
Author of: Real-time imaging of bacterial colony growth dynamics for cells with Type IV-A1 CRISPR-Cas activity
Speaker 2: Maximilian Feussner, Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering, Switzerland
Author of: Disparate mechanisms counteract extraneous CRISPR RNA production in type II-C CRISPR-Cas systems
Speaker 3: Björn Voß, Institute of Biomedical Genetics – Universität Stuttgart, Germany
This event is part of a series of webinars by FEMS with OUP funded by the FEMS Journals. The FEMS journals are run by microbiologists, and for microbiologists. Every article published by us has been rigorously reviewed for soundness of science by our community of academic peer reviewers – and the not-for-profit journals support the microbiology community.