A Scalable, Easy-to-Deploy, Protocol for Cas13-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Material

Jennifer N. Rauch; Eric Valois; Sabrina C. Solley; Friederike Braig; Ryan S. Lach; Morgane Audouard; José Carlos Ponce‐Rojas; Michael S. Costello; Naomi J. Baxter; Kenneth S. Kosik; Carolina Arias; Diego Acosta‐Alvear; Maxwell Z. Wilson

doi:10.1128/jcm.02402-20

Molecular BiologyJournal of Clinical MicrobiologyJan 22, 2021

Peer-reviewed journal article

A Scalable, Easy-to-Deploy, Protocol for Cas13-Based Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Material

Jennifer N. Rauch iD, Eric Valois iD, Sabrina C. Solley iD, Friederike Braig, Ryan S. Lach iD, Morgane Audouard iD, José Carlos Ponce‐Rojas iD, Michael S. Costello iD, Naomi J. Baxter iD, Kenneth S. Kosik iD, Carolina Arias iD, Diego Acosta‐Alvear iD, Maxwell Z. Wilson iD

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created massive demand for widespread, distributed tools for detecting SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. The hurdles to scalable testing include reagent and instrument accessibility, availability of highly-trained personnel, and large upfront investment. Here we showcase an orthogonal pipeline we call CREST (Cas13-based, Rugged, Equitable, Scalable Testing) that addresses some of these hurdles. Specifically, CREST pairs commonplace and reliable biochemical methods (PCR) with low-cost instrumentation, without sacrificing detection sensitivity. By taking advantage of simple fluorescence visualizers, CREST allows for a binary interpretation of results. CREST may provide a point- of-care solution to increase the distribution of COVID-19 surveillance.

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