CBASS (Cyclic-Oligonucleotide-Based Antiphage Signaling System)

Discovery that bacteria encode CBASS operons -- a cyclic-nucleotide second-messenger signaling system, structurally and mechanistically homologous to the human cGAS-STING innate-immune pathway, that senses phage infection and triggers an effector response (often NAD+ depletion or membrane damage) to abort it before the phage can spread. Cohen, Melamed, Millman, Shulman, Oppenheimer-Shaanan, Kacen, Doron, Amitai & Sorek, "Cyclic GMP-AMP signalling protects bacteria against viral infection" (Nature 574, 691-695, 2019-09-18, OpenAlex W2973313700, 598 citations). Not yet its own industry, but its human homolog cGAS-STING is already one of the most actively pursued drug-target classes in immuno-oncology (STING agonists in clinical development at multiple companies) -- a live example of the same "basic bacterial-defense discovery -> drug target" lag CRISPR itself went through, currently mid-pattern rather than already translated.