Detecting SARS-CoV-2 with CRISPR

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for rapid, accurate diagnostic tests that could be developed and deployed quickly. Since the company’s founding in 2018, Mammoth has been advancing our CRISPR-based DETECTRTM technology to enable diagnostic solutions across the continuum of molecular testing. By programming a Cas protein with a sequence specific gRNA, DETECTRTM couples a highly specific target recognition event with cleavage of a reporter molecule, generating a measurable signal. In response to the pandemic, Mammoth rapidly reconfigured our DETECTRTM platform to detect SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating the speed and accuracy of CRISPR-based diagnostics for COVID-19. Mammoth has further implemented its CRISPR technology into device formats that enable high-throughput and decentralized testing solutions. The platform nature of the DETECTRTM platform will continue to democratize diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2 and beyond. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Define how CRISPR proteins enable disease diagnostics.

2. Explain the application of CRISPR diagnostics to the COVID-19 pandemic.