VarLOCK: sequencing-independent, rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern for point-of-care testing, qPCR pipelines and national wastewater surveillance.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for rapid molecular diagnostics. Vaccination programs can provide protection and facilitate the opening of society, but newly emergent and existing viral variants capable of evading the immune system endanger their efficacy. Effective surveillance for Variants of Concern (VOC) is therefore important. Rapid and specific molecular diagnostics can provide speed and coverage advantages compared to genomic sequencing alone, benefitting the public health response and facilitating VOC containment. Here we expand the recently developed SARS-CoV-2 CRISPR-Cas detection technology (SHERLOCK) to provide rapid and sensitive discrimination of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs that can be used at point of care, implemented in the pipelines of small or large testing facilities, a

SUBMITTER: Nan X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10681975 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature