Coronavirus tests performed in labs are the gold standard for accuracy and antigen tests are a fast and inexpensive alternative.
But backers of a third type of test, developed by a Nobel Prize winner using cutting-edge CRISPR technology, say it has the potential to be all three: rapid, accurate and inexpensive.
Although these gene-editing technology tests are still being developed and won't be ready in the United States this year as the weather cools and demand surges, research groups recently published scientific papers describing them as an appealing alternative as testing shortages persist in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Jennifer Doudna, a University of California, Berkeley researcher whose pioneering work in CRISPR earned a share of this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry, said the test can be done quickly and doesn't require a lab.
"We have a ways to go before CRISPR-based diagnostics reach widespread use, but I believe we'll see an impact during the current pandemic," Doudna said. "Because it is simple to adjust these tests to detect other targets, the platform we're developing now is laying the groundwork to deploy CRISPR for rapid diagnosis during future outbreaks."
CRISPR, or clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, is a gene-editing technology studied for a wide range of uses from cancer and sickle cell disease treatments to improved food production.
In 2016, Doudna's lab developed a way to detect RNA using the technology. Her lab collaborated with Dr. Melanie Ott of San Francisco-based Gladstone Institutes to develop an HIV test, but when the pandemic hit, the researchers focused on developing a coronavirus test.
The test recognizes a sequence of RNA in SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19
In an Oct. 12 publication, researchers reported the test yielded results in five minutes and correctly identified five samples from patients with coronavirus. When used with a mobile phone to detect signals generated by the test, the technology could provide a fast, low-cost test outside a laboratory, researchers said in the paper, which was not peer reviewed.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists also are honing a CRISPR-based test that can be used outside a lab. In a New England Journal of Medicine letter published last month, researchers said the test was evaluated at a University of Washington lab using 202 samples with coronavirus and 200 without. The test correctly identified 93.1% of positive samples. The test also had 98.5% specificity, which means it rarely reported false positives.
Feluda, a paper-based CRISPR test named after a fictional India detective, has been cleared by that nation's drug regulators for commercial launch. But it's unclear how the Indian conglomerate Tata Group plans to deploy the test in India, which trails only the United States with nearly 7.7 million cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Image Credit: Ernesto Del Aguila, NHGRI
Post by Amanda Scott, NA CEO. Follow her on twitter @tantriclens
Thanks to Heinz V. Hoenen. Follow him on twitter: @HeinzVHoenen
News
Why More People in Their 30s Are Suddenly Getting Colon Cancer
A major Swiss study found that colorectal cancer is becoming increasingly common in adults under 50, even as rates decline in older age groups. Researchers in Switzerland have identified a concerning trend: while colorectal [...]
Researchers Compare MS Models to Human Tissue in Search for Better Therapies
Researchers identified key differences between two widely used multiple sclerosis models, showing how each can better study myelin damage, immune responses, and repair. The findings may improve efforts to develop treatments that restore lost [...]
Scientists Discover Genetic “Off Switch” That Supercharges CAR T Cells Against Cancer
A new study reveals a possible way to make CAR T-cell therapy more durable and effective by targeting a single gene-regulating protein. CAR T-cell therapy is widely seen as a breakthrough in personalized cancer [...]
New Vitamin B12-Based Therapy Could Change How Brain Cancer Is Treated
Researchers have identified a vitamin B12–based compound that appears capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier and selectively accumulating in glioblastoma tissue. For decades, one of the biggest problems in brain cancer treatment has had [...]
Simple Fiber Supplement Cuts Knee Arthritis Pain in Just 6 Weeks, Study Finds
A daily inulin supplement may help reduce knee osteoarthritis pain while revealing a possible link between gut health, muscle function, and pain sensitivity. For millions of people living with knee osteoarthritis, managing chronic pain [...]
This Common Vitamin May Help Stop Prediabetes From Turning Into Diabetes
Vitamin D may help prevent type 2 diabetes in people with specific genetic variations, offering a possible path toward personalized diabetes prevention. More than 40% of U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which [...]
Ebola, hantavirus: Is the world prepared for the next pandemic?
Funding cuts to health research and a growing antivaccine movement are making it harder than ever to respond to viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and [...]
May 2026 Healthcare News and Trends: Market Signals That Matter
Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines, telehealth has settled into a new normal, and digital health continues to promise transformation. However, much of what is being discussed in healthcare today reflects potential rather than reality. [...]
Scientists Rewire Donor Stem Cells To Outsmart Aggressive Blood Cancers
Researchers have tested a gene-edited stem cell transplant designed to shield healthy blood-forming cells from powerful cancer-targeting immunotherapies. For patients with highly aggressive blood cancers, stem cell transplantation can offer a rare chance at [...]
Recent Digital Health Trends, Insights and News – May 2026
Last month marked continued progress as digital health moves into its next phase — from AI expanding into drug discovery and core infrastructure to new federal pathways accelerating device access and home-based care. Together, [...]
Cancer Mystery Solved: Scientists Discover How Melanoma Becomes “Immortal”
Scientists have uncovered a previously overlooked mechanism that may help melanoma cells become effectively “immortal.” Cancer cells face a major problem before they can become deadly: They have to figure out how to stop [...]
How Visual Neurons Organize Thousands of Synaptic Inputs
Summary: A new study uncovered the organizational rules that determine how neurons in the primary visual cortex process information. By imaging both the cell bodies (soma) and the individual synapses (on dendritic spines) of [...]
Scientists Just Found a Surprising Way To Destroy “Forever Chemicals”
Scientists have uncovered a new mechanism that may help break down highly persistent PFAS pollutants. PFAS have earned the nickname “forever chemicals” for a reason. These industrial compounds are so chemically durable that they [...]
Scientists Discover Cheap Material That Kills Deadly Superbugs
A new sulfur-rich antimicrobial polymer shows strong effectiveness against fungal and bacterial pathogens and may offer an affordable solution to antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance is creating growing challenges for both healthcare and food production, [...]
What to Know About Cicada, or BA.3.2, the Latest SARS-CoV-2 Variant Under Monitoring
Like periodical cicadas, the insects for which it is nicknamed, SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariant BA.3.2 is only just beginning to emerge after lying low for an extended period since it first appeared. Although it was [...]
Scientists Say This Simple Supplement May Actually Reverse Heart Disease
Scientists in Japan say a common supplement may actually help “unclog” certain diseased heart arteries from the inside out. A simple food supplement sold in Japan may have helped reverse a dangerous form of [...]
