Reengineering Life

The First Gene-Edited Squid in History Is a Biological Breakthrough

The modified squid could be useful for brain research

Doryteuthis pealeii, often called the Woods Hole squid. Photo illustration; Image source: Roger Hanlon, Marine Biological Laboratory

Reengineering Life is a series from OneZero about the astonishing ways genetic technology is changing humanity and the world around us.

Squid are among the smartest ocean dwellers. Along with other ink-squirting cephalopods like octopuses and cuttlefish, squid boast the largest brains of all invertebrates. They also have an incredibly complex nervous system capable of instantaneously camouflaging their bodies and communicating with each other using various signals.

Scientists have long marveled at these sophisticated behaviors and have tried to understand why these tentacled creatures are so intelligent. Gene editing may be able to help researchers unravel the mysteries of the cephalopod brain. But until now, it’s been too hard to do—in part because cephalopod embryos are protected by a hard outer layer that makes manipulating them difficult.

Recently, a group of marine scientists managed to engineer the first genetically altered squid using the DNA editing tool CRISPR. In addition to being a big milestone in biology, the advance has potential implications for human health: Because of their big brains…