The standard reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 tests, while highly accurate, can take several days to produce results, and can only be performed in centralized clinical labs by specially trained technicians using bulky equipment.
Researchers at Stanford Univ. are using lab-on-a-chip microfluidics and gene editing CRISPR technology to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in just half an hour from sample to test result. The chip has the potential to be used on-site for patients in the field.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed major gaps in our current ability to respond to new pathogens,” says Ashwin Ramachandran, a researcher at Stanford. “Rapid, accurate, and easily configurable molecular diagnostic tests are imperative to prevent global spread of new diseases. Early-stage screening and rapid identification of infected patients are also important to treat those infected in a timely manner.”
The current gold-standard method for COVID-19 testing is RT-PCR, but it is not the ideal solution for large-scale testing during pandemics. With RT-PCR testing, the workload for labs can become enormous, Ramachandran says...
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