Science 360, 436–439 (2018)

Science 360, 439–444 (2018)

Science 360, 444–448 (2018)

Sensitive, specific and portable diagnostics can rapidly identify viral infections.

Quick and reliable diagnosis of viral disease in the field can aid treatment and containment. The recently developed specific high-sensitivity enzymatic reporter unlocking platform (SHERLOCK) is based on the programmable RNA cutting enzyme CRISPR–Cas13 and is able to identify genetic signatures of viruses without the need for complex lab protocols.

Gootenberg et al. have developed SHERLOCK version 2, which offers four advances: quantitative detection, enhanced sensitivity, multiplex detection of up to four viruses (or other nucleic acid targets), and a visual readout. SHERLOCKv2 can also detect specific mutations even at very low frequencies, such as cancer-associated mutations found in liquid biopsies.

Myhrvold et al. were able to add a step named HUDSON to the initial SHERLOCK protocol that allows the detection of viruses directly from body fluids, creating a field-deployable diagnostic.

Doudna and colleagues showed that the enzyme Cas12a has a target-activated DNA cutting activity that can be leveraged to detect HPV in patient samples. The signal-amplifying property of Cas12a allows rapid and accurate point-of-care DNA detection.

Together these tools will help to bring portable, accurate diagnostics to the field.