# Structure-guided discovery of ancestral CRISPR-Cas13 ribonucleases

*PRI Rank #20 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/bacterial-genetics-and-biotechnology/2026/rank-20*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #20 |
| 18m citations | 32 |
| Journal | Science |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1126/science.adq0553 |
| Corresponding authors | Jennifer A. Doudna |
| Institution | University of California, Berkeley, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/bacterial-genetics-and-biotechnology/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1126/science.adq0553](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adq0553)

## Topics

CRISPR-Cas13 · Cas13an · structural-search pipeline · ancestral clade identification · RNA-guided ribonuclease · programmable RNA depletion · Bacterial anti-phage defense systems · CRISPR RNA processing · RNA-guided nucleases · single active site dual activity · nuclease domain evolution · structure-guided genome mining · adaptive immunity in bacteria · defense-associated ribonucleases · precision RNA editing · heterologous RNA manipulation systems · Evolution of CRISPR-Cas · minimal Cas13 ortholog

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/bacterial-genetics-and-biotechnology/2026. Accessed 2026-10-28.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```