CRISPR-Based Dx Detects COVID-19 Variants in Saliva

Scientists at the Wyss Institute, MIT, and several Boston-area hospitals have created an inexpensive, CRISPR-based diagnostic test that allows users to test themselves for SARS-CoV-2 and multiple variants of the virus using a sample of their saliva at home.

The diagnostic device, called Minimally Instrumented SHERLOCK (miSHERLOCK), is easy to use and provides results that can be read and verified by an accompanying smartphone app within one hour, according to the team. It successfully distinguished between three different variants of SARS-CoV-2 in experiments, and can be rapidly reconfigured to detect additional variants like Delta. The device can be assembled using a 3D printer and commonly available components.

“miSHERLOCK eliminates the need to transport patient samples to a centralized testing location and greatly simplifies the sample preparation steps, giving patients and doctors a faster, more accurate picture of individual and community health, which is critical during an evolving pandemic,” said Helena de Puig, co-first author of a paper published today in Science Advances.

“One of the great things about miSHERLOCK is that it’s entirely modular. The device itself is separate from the assays, so you can plug in different assays for the specific sequence of RNA or DNA you’re trying to detect,” added co-first author Devora Najjar. “The device costs about $15, but mass production would bring the housing down to about $3. Assays for new targets can be created in about two weeks, enabling the rapid development of tests for new variants of COVID-19 and other diseases.”