# Researchers develop platform to map essential tuberculosis gene interactions

_Published Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 12:20 PM EST · Science · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

Researchers reporting in Nature developed a platform that measures how pairs of essential tuberculosis genes interact, overcoming technical limits that had prevented comparable large-scale mapping in the pathogen. Their tuberculosis library targets 762 genes, most essential for growth in laboratory conditions.

The system uses CRISPR interference to reduce activity in two genes at once, then tracks bacterial growth through paired genetic barcodes. The researchers validated selected predictions, including drug-drug interactions. Repeat tuberculosis screens produced strongly correlated interaction scores, but agreement on interaction probabilities was lower near statistical classification boundaries.

## Sources

- [Nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-11212-0)

---
Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/Z0_eEJ466UI7IjlNOb_6ep
Published: 2026-11-04T17:20:48.631Z
Story chronology: 2026-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-04T21:58:55.049Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)