Recent progress on rapid SARS-CoV-2/ COVID-19 detection by CRISPR-Cas13-based platforms

The limitations of conventional diagnostic procedures, such as real-time PCR-based methods and serological tests, have led the scientific community to innovate alternative nucleic acid detection approaches for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, thereby addressing the dire need for increased testing. Such approaches aim to provide rapid, accurate, cost-effective, sensitive, and high-throughput detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, on multiple specimen types, and without specialized equipment and expertise. The CRISPR-Cas13 system functions as a sequence-specific RNA-sensing tool that has recently been harnessed to develop simplified and flexible testing formats. This review recapitulates technical advances in the most recent CRISPR-Cas13-based methods for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 diagnosis. The challenges and opportunities for implementing mass testing using these novel CRISPR-Cas13 platforms are critically analyzed.

Automated summary

This article discusses the technical advances of CRISPR-Cas13-based methods for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 RNA, which aim to provide rapid, accurate, cost-effective, sensitive, and high-throughput detection with simplified operation. It also critically analyzes the challenges and opportunities for mass testing using these CRISPR-Cas13 platforms.