With the trend of moving genomic test from (medical) laboratories to on-site testing, there is a need for nucleic acid based diagnostic tools combining the sensitivity, specificity and flexibility of established genomic diagnostics with the ease, cost effectiveness and speed of isothermal amplification methods. A promising new genomic sensing method is Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-associated nuclease (Cas)-based sensing. In this method Cas effector proteins are used as highly specific sequence recognition elements that can be combined with many different read-out methods for on-site point-of-care testing.
This review covers the technical aspects of integrating CRISPR/Cas technology in miniaturized sensors for analysis on-site. We start with a short introduction to CRISPR/Cas systems and the different effector proteins and continue with reviewing the recent developments of integrating CRISPR sensing in miniaturized sensors for point-of-care applications. Finally, we discuss the challenges of point-of-care CRISPR sensing and describe future research perspectives.
Rapid and reliable detection of nucleic acid is critical in many different fields.
CRISPR/Cas effector protein complexes could be used for specific DNA detection without the need of complicated machinery and trained personnel in so-called point-of-care testing.
A short and comprehensive introduction to CRISPR sensing is given.
We review recent developments of integrating CRISPR sensing in Point-of-care devices.
The challenges of (point-of-care) CRISPR sensing are discussed.