<\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThis latest technology is no exception. Emerging from the labs of Harvard and MIT, this low-cost testing device is geared towards regions where access to sophisticated labs is not a given. \u201cmiSHERLOCK 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,\u201d said Helena de Puig, a researcher involved in the study, via a Wyss Institute announcement.<\/p>\n
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No one likes inserting a nasopharyngeal swab, and the new test dispenses with this in favor of a simple spit sample. \u201cSimple things that used to be ubiquitous in the hospital, like nasopharyngeal swabs, were suddenly hard to get, so routine sample processing procedures were disrupted, which is a big problem in a pandemic setting,\u201d said Rose Lee, another researcher involved in the study. \u201cOur team\u2019s motivation for this project was to eliminate these bottlenecks and provide accurate diagnostics for COVID-19 with less reliance on global supply chains, and could also accurately detect the variants that were starting to emerge.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/noscript><\/figure>\nThe device relies on CRISPR-based technology called \u201cspecific high sensitivity enzymatic reporter unlocking\u201d (SHERLOCK) to cut a gene in SARS-CoV-2 resulting in a fluorescent signal that can be identified using a smartphone app. The researchers have also designed the assay to recognize and identify three variants of the virus (Alpha, Beta and Gamma), but it could be adapted to include the Delta variant in future versions. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the miSHERLOCK project started, there was almost no SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring happening. We knew that variant tracking was going to be incredibly important when evaluating the long-term effects of COVID-19 on local and global communities, so we pushed ourselves to create a truly decentralized, flexible, user-friendly diagnostic platform,\u201d said Jim Collins, a third researcher involved in the project. \u201cBy solving the sample prep problem, we\u2019ve ensured that this device is virtually ready for consumers to use as-is, and we\u2019re excited to work with industrial partners to make it commercially available.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a video with more about the new testing technology:<\/p>\n\n\n