SensNews March 2020

Sensor100 Page 13 CRISPR’s Future For Point-Of-Care Diagnostics Can Dincer’s group at the University of Freiburg has developed what he says is the first CRISPR/Cas13a powered electrochemical microfluidic biosensor for on-site miRNA de- tection. Without any target amplification, it offers a low-cost, easily scalable, and multi- plexed approach for nucleic acid diagnostics. Diagnostic News February 18 Dincer commented to Sensor100: “We are currently trying to extend our Ca- s13a-based measurement system to detect two characteristic genome sequences (en- velope (E) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP); proposed for RT-PCR by the Charité in Berlin) of the novel SARS-CoV-2 pathogen (COVID-19) simultaneously.The multiplex approach used offers, compared to the usual procedure, a clear time advan- tage in sample analysis, since screening (E gene), confirmation (RdRP) and exclusion of a possible infection with SARS-CoV are performed simultaneously. We aim at a total test duration of less than 45 minutes (comparable with currently available methods), and we proceed without nucleic acid amplification. Our CRISPR-powered system allows rapid adaptation to any RNA sequence, and is therefore ideal for keeping up with potential mutations of SARS-CoV-2.” Disposable Silicon-based All-in-One Micro-qPCR for Rapid On-Site Detection of Pathogens Firat Güder et al. at Imperial College developed a disposable micro-qPCR technology that can detect cDNA of SARS-CoV-2 and genomic DNA of Mycobacteria. The small chip (10x10x0.65mm) integrates heating, temperature sensing and nucleic acid detection functions of PCR in a single device. Click image below to view video A team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and other institutions have re- leased an early version of an app that they claim can determine whether you might have COVID-19, just by analyzing your voice. You can try it out, with the caution that it is not of diagnostic quality. Futurism 31 March