Researchers use CRISPR to detect HPV and Zika
Science published three studies today that all demonstrate new uses for CRISPR . The gene editing technology is typically thought of for its potential use in treating diseases like HIV , ALS and Huntington's disease , but researchers are showing that applications of CRISPR don't stop there. The first study comes from the lab of CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna. Her team discovered that a CRISPR system different from the CRISPR-Cas9 one we're used to hearing about can not only snip away specific bits of double-stranded DNA, but can then also cut single-stranded DNA that's near it. After they uncovered this ability of CRISPR-Cas12a, they used it to detect two common types of HPV. Once their CRISPR-Cas12a system detected HPV DNA in infected cells, it cleaved a another piece of DNA that then released a fluorescent signal, providing a visual sign of the presence of HPV. The researchers dubbed the system DETECTR and The Verge reports that it takes around an hour to work...