Sherlock Biosciences prints microscopic plumbing networks onto paper strips the size of a postage stamp to detect specific disease mutations in a single drop of spit providing…

A closer look

Trying to run complex medical diagnostics in rural areas usually involves shipping vials of bodily fluids across the country and waiting weeks. Microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology compresses an entire million-dollar molecular biology laboratory into a piece of paper. By utilizing CRISPR-Cas13 enzymes programmed to hunt down specific viral RNA, these microscopic channels guide a tiny drop of patient fluid into a reaction chamber. If the target virus is found, the CRISPR enzyme activates and cuts a reporter molecule, causing the paper to visibly change color in under an hour without electricity.