A genome‑wide CRISPR knockout screen identified 331 genes essential for converting embryonic stem cells into neurons and implicated PEDS1 in a previously undescribed neurodevelopmental disorder. The study combined high‑throughput loss‑of‑function screening with in vivo mouse validation to connect gene function to brain development. Disruption of PEDS1 reduced brain size and impaired neuronal differentiation and migration in mice; the investigators linked rare human PEDS1 mutations to severe developmental delay in two unrelated families. The paper, published in Nature Neuroscience, also maps pathway classes that predict inheritance patterns for neurodevelopmental syndromes. The results provide candidate targets for further functional study and suggest new diagnostic markers for previously unexplained neurodevelopmental presentations.