Zhang Feng's team released CRISPR's new diagnostic system

"gene magic cut" to add a tiger wing. In a paper published recently in the journal
, zhang Feng's team at the Broad Institute said they replaced Cas9 in CRISPR/Cas9 with another shear enzyme, Cas13a, extending gene editing tools that were originally targeted to DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to a new diagnostic system for targeted RNA (RNA), with sensitivity even high lying to detect individual target nucleic acid molecules, promising revolutionary effects on basic research, infectious disease diagnosis and treatment.
June 2016, Zhang Feng and colleagues published their first paper that CRISPR/Cas13a accurately cuts specific RNA sequences in bacterial cells. But unlike enzymes such as Cas9, Cas13a remains active after cutting off the target RNA and continues to "step in" to cut other non-target RNA. In September of the same year, other teams developed RNA detection tools using Cas13a's "band shear" feature, but only when the target RNA reached a million molecular scales, unable to meet the sensitivity requirements required for many studies and diagnoses.
this time, Zhang Feng's team added a specific RNA fluorescence marker to the system and used special amplification techniques to detect RNA in the sample using body temperature amplification, increasing the system's sensitivity by a million times and accurately detecting individual nucleic acid molecules.
because the new system doesn't let go of any trace of its properties, the team named it SHERLOCK, an acronym for Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing, meaning specific high sensitivity enzymatic enzymatic unlock. It also has other incomparable advantages: it can be made into test paper for easy transport and storage, reducing costs to a few tens of cents;
's new system could be used to detect drug-resistant gene fragments in superbugs, identify genetic variants in cancer cells, quickly identify human genetic information associated with various diseases through saliva, and so on, especially in remote areas to detect outbreaks of endemic diseases such as Zika and Ebola. Zhang Feng has started to create a new company dedicated to the commercial development of the new system. (Source: Science and Technology Daily