A group of California-based researchers have developed a test that detects the virus in five minutes, using gene-altering technology as well as modified cell phone cameras, a method that could go a long way in fighting the pandemic.
The study , led by Dr. Jennifer Doudna, one of the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2020, was announced on September 30, but has not been reviewed by colleagues because it has not yet been published.
CRISPR (short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is a family of DNA sequences found in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria (organisms without cell nuclei). CRISPR-Cas system, created by Dr. Jennifer Doudna and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, can change the genetic code for biologically based benefits in preventing, treating and fighting diseases.
In an interview with Tech Crunch, Dr. Doudna tha:
"We are working on a strategy to detect both influenza and coronavirus at the same time, because this is very important, because we have to fight other viruses as well. "I do not think any of us think the global pandemics will go away."
Regarding the testing in question, she said:
"I think from what I have seen before, it is likely that before the end of the year we will have CRISPR diagnostic tests, despite the fact that they may be in laboratory formats."
Crispr-Cas9 functions as a genetic "scissors", allowing researchers to modify the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms with extremely high accuracy.
