Researchers reported two complementary advances on Jan. 2, 2026 that aim to improve the safety profile of CRISPR base editors. One team used directed evolution and 3′-extended guide RNAs to reduce bystander adenine edits and sharpen targeting; the work was published in Nature Biotechnology. A second study introduced CHANGE-seq-BE, a tailored genome-wide assay that sensitively maps base-editor-induced off-target activity. Base editors convert single bases without double-strand breaks; these papers pair engineering and detection advances that together lower risks for therapeutic applications.