1
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Nguyen LT, Macaluso NC, Rakestraw NR, Carman DR, Pizzano BLM, Hautamaki RC, Rananaware SR, Roberts IE, Jain PK. Harnessing noncanonical crRNAs to improve functionality of Cas12a orthologs. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113777. [PMID: 38358883 PMCID: PMC11031708 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
There is a broad diversity among Cas12a endonucleases that possess nucleic acid detection and gene-editing capabilities, but few are studied extensively. Here, we present an exhaustive investigation of 23 Cas12a orthologs, with a focus on their cis- and trans-cleavage activities in combination with noncanonical crRNAs. Through biochemical assays, we observe that some noncanonical crRNA:Cas12a effector complexes outperform their corresponding wild-type crRNA:Cas12a. Cas12a can recruit crRNA with modifications such as loop extensions and split scaffolds. Moreover, the tolerance of Cas12a to noncanonical crRNA is also observed in mammalian cells through the formation of indels. We apply the adaptability of Cas12a:crRNA complexes to detect SARS-CoV-2 in clinical nasopharyngeal swabs, saliva samples, and tracheal aspirates. Our findings further expand the toolbox for next-generation CRISPR-based diagnostics and gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long T Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nicolas C Macaluso
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Noah R Rakestraw
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dylan R Carman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Brianna L M Pizzano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Raymond C Hautamaki
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Isabel E Roberts
- Department of Chemical Engineering, John and Marcia Price College of Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Piyush K Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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2
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Shashank PR, Parker BM, Rananaware SR, Plotkin D, Couch C, Yang LG, Nguyen LT, Prasannakumar NR, Braswell WE, Jain PK, Kawahara AY. CRISPR-based diagnostics detects invasive insect pests. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13881. [PMID: 37888995 PMCID: PMC10842307 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Rapid identification of organisms is essential for many biological and medical disciplines, from understanding basic ecosystem processes, disease diagnosis, to the detection of invasive pests. CRISPR-based diagnostics offers a novel and rapid alternative to other identification methods and can revolutionize our ability to detect organisms with high accuracy. Here we describe a CRISPR-based diagnostic developed with the universal cytochrome-oxidase 1 gene (CO1). The CO1 gene is the most sequenced gene among Animalia, and therefore our approach can be adopted to detect nearly any animal. We tested the approach on three difficult-to-identify moth species (Keiferia lycopersicella, Phthorimaea absoluta and Scrobipalpa atriplicella) that are major invasive pests globally. We designed an assay that combines recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with CRISPR for signal generation. Our approach has a much higher sensitivity than real-time PCR assays and achieved 100% accuracy for identification of all three species, with a detection limit of up to 120 fM for P. absoluta and 400 fM for the other two species. Our approach does not require a sophisticated laboratory, reduces the risk of cross-contamination, and can be completed in less than 1 h. This work serves as a proof of concept that has the potential to revolutionize animal detection and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pathour R Shashank
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institution, New Delhi, India
| | - Brandon M Parker
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Santosh R Rananaware
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - David Plotkin
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Christian Couch
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Lilia G Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Long T Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - N R Prasannakumar
- Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, India
| | - W Evan Braswell
- Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, USDA APHIS PPQ S&T, Edinburg, Texas, USA
| | - Piyush K Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Akito Y Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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3
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Rananaware SR, Vesco EK, Shoemaker GM, Anekar SS, Sandoval LSW, Meister KS, Macaluso NC, Nguyen LT, Jain PK. Programmable RNA detection with CRISPR-Cas12a. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5409. [PMID: 37669948 PMCID: PMC10480431 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41006-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cas12a, a CRISPR-associated protein complex, has an inherent ability to cleave DNA substrates and is utilized in diagnostic tools to identify DNA molecules. We demonstrate that multiple orthologs of Cas12a activate trans-cleavage in the presence of split activators. Specifically, the PAM-distal region of the crRNA recognizes RNA targets provided that the PAM-proximal seed region has a DNA target. Our method, Split Activator for Highly Accessible RNA Analysis (SAHARA), detects picomolar concentrations of RNA without sample amplification, reverse-transcription, or strand-displacement by simply supplying a short DNA sequence complementary to the seed region. Beyond RNA detection, SAHARA outperforms wild-type CRISPR-Cas12a in specificity towards point-mutations and can detect multiple RNA and DNA targets in pooled crRNA/Cas12a arrays via distinct PAM-proximal seed DNAs. In conclusion, SAHARA is a simple, yet powerful nucleic acid detection platform based on Cas12a that can be applied in a multiplexed fashion and potentially be expanded to other CRISPR-Cas enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma K Vesco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Grace M Shoemaker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Swapnil S Anekar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Katelyn S Meister
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nicolas C Macaluso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Long T Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Piyush K Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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4
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Shashank PR, Parker BM, Rananaware SR, Plotkin D, Couch C, Yang LG, Nguyen LT, Prasannakumar NR, Braswell WE, Jain PK, Kawahara AY. CRISPR-based diagnostics detects invasive insect pests. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.16.541004. [PMID: 37292907 PMCID: PMC10245733 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.16.541004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Rapid identification of organisms is essential across many biological and medical disciplines, from understanding basic ecosystem processes and how organisms respond to environmental change, to disease diagnosis and detection of invasive pests. CRISPR-based diagnostics offers a novel and rapid alternative to other identification methods and can revolutionize our ability to detect organisms with high accuracy. Here we describe a CRISPR-based diagnostic developed with the universal cytochrome-oxidase 1 gene (CO1). The CO1 gene is the most sequenced gene among Animalia, and therefore our approach can be adopted to detect nearly any animal. We tested the approach on three difficult-to-identify moth species (Keiferia lycopersicella, Phthorimaea absoluta, and Scrobipalpa atriplicella) that are major invasive pests globally. We designed an assay that combines recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with CRISPR for signal generation. Our approach has a much higher sensitivity than other real time-PCR assays and achieved 100% accuracy for identification of all three species, with a detection limit of up to 120 fM for P. absoluta and 400 fM for the other two species. Our approach does not require a lab setting, reduces the risk of cross-contamination, and can be completed in less than one hour. This work serves as a proof of concept that has the potential to revolutionize animal detection and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pathour R. Shashank
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institution, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Brandon M. Parker
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, RTP, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Santosh R. Rananaware
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - David Plotkin
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Christian Couch
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lilia G. Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Long T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - N. R. Prasannakumar
- Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru 560089, India
| | - W. Evan Braswell
- Insect Management and Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, USDA APHIS PPQ S&T, 22675 North Moorefield Road, Edinburg, Texas 78541, USA
| | - Piyush K. Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Akito Y. Kawahara
- McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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5
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Nguyen LT, Rananaware SR, Yang LG, Macaluso NC, Ocana-Ortiz JE, Meister KS, Pizzano BLM, Sandoval LSW, Hautamaki RC, Fang ZR, Joseph SM, Shoemaker GM, Carman DR, Chang L, Rakestraw NR, Zachary JF, Guerra S, Perez A, Jain PK. Engineering highly thermostable Cas12b via de novo structural analyses for one-pot detection of nucleic acids. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101037. [PMID: 37160120 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas-based diagnostics have the potential to elevate nucleic acid detection. CRISPR-Cas systems can be combined with a pre-amplification step in a one-pot reaction to simplify the workflow and reduce carryover contamination. Here, we report an engineered Cas12b with improved thermostability that falls within the optimal temperature range (60°C-65°C) of reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). Using de novo structural analyses, we introduce mutations to wild-type BrCas12b to tighten its hydrophobic cores, thereby enhancing thermostability. The one-pot detection assay utilizing the engineered BrCas12b, called SPLENDID (single-pot LAMP-mediated engineered BrCas12b for nucleic acid detection of infectious diseases), exhibits robust trans-cleavage activity up to 67°C in a one-pot setting. We validate SPLENDID clinically in 80 serum samples for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 66 saliva samples for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with high specificity and accuracy. We obtain results in as little as 20 min, and with the extraction process, the entire assay can be performed within an hour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long T Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Santosh R Rananaware
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lilia G Yang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nicolas C Macaluso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Julio E Ocana-Ortiz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR, USA
| | - Katelyn S Meister
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Brianna L M Pizzano
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Luke Samuel W Sandoval
- Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Raymond C Hautamaki
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Zoe R Fang
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sara M Joseph
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Grace M Shoemaker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dylan R Carman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Liwei Chang
- Department of Chemistry and Quantum Theory Project, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Noah R Rakestraw
- Department of Graduate Education, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jon F Zachary
- Department of Graduate Education, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sebastian Guerra
- Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Alberto Perez
- Department of Chemistry and Quantum Theory Project, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Piyush K Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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6
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Rananaware SR, Vesco EK, Shoemaker GM, Anekar SS, Sandoval LSW, Meister KS, Macaluso NC, Nguyen LT, Jain PK. Programmable RNA detection with CRISPR-Cas12a. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-2549171. [PMID: 36824842 PMCID: PMC9949221 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2549171/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR is a prominent bioengineering tool and the type V CRISPR-associated protein complex, Cas12a, is widely used in diagnostic platforms due to its innate ability to cleave DNA substrates. Here we demonstrate that Cas12a can also be programmed to directly detect RNA substrates without the need for reverse transcription or strand displacement. We discovered that while the PAM-proximal "seed" region of the crRNA exclusively recognizes DNA for initiating trans-cleavage, the PAM-distal region or 3'-end of the crRNA can tolerate both RNA and DNA substrates. Utilizing this property, we developed a method named Split Activators for Highly Accessible RNA Analysis or 'SAHARA' to detect RNA sequences at the PAM-distal region of the crRNA by merely supplying a short ssDNA or a PAM containing dsDNA to the seed region. Notably, SAHARA is Mg2+ concentration- and pH-dependent, and it was observed to work robustly at room temperature with multiple orthologs of Cas12a. SAHARA also displayed a significant improvement in the specificity for target recognition as compared to the wild-type CRISPR-Cas12a, at certain positions along the crRNA. By employing SAHARA we achieved amplification-free detection of picomolar concentrations of miRNA-155 and hepatitis C virus RNA. Finally, SAHARA can use a PAM-proximal DNA as a switch to control the trans-cleavage activity of Cas12a for the detection of both DNA and RNA targets. With this, multicomplex arrays can be made to detect distinct DNA and RNA targets with pooled crRNA/Cas12a complexes. In conclusion, SAHARA is a simple, yet powerful nucleic acid detection platform based on Cas12a that can be applied in a multiplexed fashion and potentially be expanded to other CRISPR-Cas enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh R. Rananaware
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Emma K. Vesco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Grace M. Shoemaker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Swapnil S. Anekar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Katelyn S. Meister
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Nicolas C. Macaluso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Long T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Piyush K. Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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7
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Rananaware SR, Vesco EK, Shoemaker GM, Anekar SS, Sandoval LSW, Meister KS, Macaluso NC, Nguyen LT, Jain PK. Programmable RNA detection with CRISPR-Cas12a. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.29.525716. [PMID: 36778248 PMCID: PMC9915489 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.29.525716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR is a prominent bioengineering tool and the type V CRISPR-associated protein complex, Cas12a, is widely used in diagnostic platforms due to its innate ability to cleave DNA substrates. Here we demonstrate that Cas12a can also be programmed to directly detect RNA substrates without the need for reverse transcription or strand displacement. We discovered that while the PAM-proximal "seed" region of the crRNA exclusively recognizes DNA for initiating trans- cleavage, the PAM-distal region or 3'-end of the crRNA can tolerate both RNA and DNA substrates. Utilizing this property, we developed a method named Split Activators for Highly Accessible RNA Analysis or 'SAHARA' to detect RNA sequences at the PAM-distal region of the crRNA by merely supplying a short ssDNA or a PAM containing dsDNA to the seed region. Notably, SAHARA is Mg 2+ concentration- and pH-dependent, and it was observed to work robustly at room temperature with multiple orthologs of Cas12a. SAHARA also displayed a significant improvement in the specificity for target recognition as compared to the wild-type CRISPR-Cas12a, at certain positions along the crRNA. By employing SAHARA we achieved amplification-free detection of picomolar concentrations of miRNA-155 and hepatitis C virus RNA. Finally, SAHARA can use a PAM-proximal DNA as a switch to control the trans-cleavage activity of Cas12a for the detection of both DNA and RNA targets. With this, multicomplex arrays can be made to detect distinct DNA and RNA targets with pooled crRNA/Cas12a complexes. In conclusion, SAHARA is a simple, yet powerful nucleic acid detection platform based on Cas12a that can be applied in a multiplexed fashion and potentially be expanded to other CRISPR-Cas enzymes. Abstract Figure
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh R. Rananaware
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Emma K. Vesco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Grace M. Shoemaker
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Swapnil S. Anekar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Katelyn S. Meister
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Nicolas C. Macaluso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Long T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Piyush K. Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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8
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Chiu CW, Xian M, Stephany JL, Xia X, Chiang CC, Ren F, Tsai CT, Shan SS, Liao YT, Esquivel-Upshaw JF, Rananaware SR, Nguyen LT, Macaluso NC, Jain PK, Cash MN, Mavian CN, Salemi M, Leon ME, Chang CW, Lin J, Pearton SJ. Rapid SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis using disposable strips and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor platform. J Vac Sci Technol B Nanotechnol Microelectron 2022; 40:023204. [PMID: 36032199 PMCID: PMC8830941 DOI: 10.1116/6.0001615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had a significant impact worldwide. Currently, the most common detection methods for the virus are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and lateral flow tests. PCR takes more than an hour to obtain the results and lateral flow tests have difficulty with detecting the virus at low concentrations. In this study, 60 clinical human saliva samples, which included 30 positive and 30 negative samples confirmed with RT-PCR, were screened for COVID-19 using disposable glucose biosensor strips and a reusable printed circuit board. The disposable strips were gold plated and functionalized to immobilize antibodies on the gold film. After functionalization, the strips were connected to the gate electrode of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor on the printed circuit board to amplify the test signals. A synchronous double-pulsed bias voltage was applied to the drain of the transistor and strips. The resulting change in drain waveforms was converted to digital readings. The RT-PCR-confirmed saliva samples were tested again using quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to determine cycling threshold (Ct) values. Ct values up to 45 refer to the number of amplification cycles needed to detect the presence of the virus. These PCR results were compared with digital readings from the sensor to better evaluate the sensor technology. The results indicate that the samples with a range of Ct values from 17.8 to 35 can be differentiated, which highlights the increased sensitivity of this sensor technology. This research exhibits the potential of this biosensor technology to be further developed into a cost-effective, point-of-care, and portable rapid detection method for SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan-Wen Chiu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Minghan Xian
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Jenna L. Stephany
- Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
| | - Xinyi Xia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Chao-Ching Chiang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Fan Ren
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Cheng-Tse Tsai
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Siang-Sin Shan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Te Liao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan
| | | | - Santosh R. Rananaware
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Long T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Nicolas C. Macaluso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Piyush K. Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Melanie N. Cash
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Carla N. Mavian
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Marco Salemi
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Marino E. Leon
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Chin-Wei Chang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Jenshan Lin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Stephen J. Pearton
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
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9
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Nguyen LT, Gurijala J, Rananaware SR, Pizzano BLM, Stone BT, Jain PK. CRISPR-ENHANCE: An enhanced nucleic acid detection platform using Cas12a. Methods 2021; 203:116-124. [PMID: 33577982 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid detection of nucleic acids is essential for clinical diagnosis of a wide range of infectious and non-infectious diseases. CRISPR-based diagnostic platforms are well-established for rapid and specific detection of nucleic acids but suffer from a low detection sensitivity without a target pre-amplification step. Our recently developed detection system, called CRISPR-ENHANCE, employs engineered crRNAs and optimized conditions to achieve a significantly higher sensitivity and enable femtomolar levels of nucleic acid detection even without target pre-amplification. Using the CRISPR-ENHANCE platform and following the methodology detailed in this paper, nucleic acid detection for low copy numbers can be achieved in less than an hour through either a fluorescence-based detection or a lateral flow assay. The step-by-step instructions provided, in addition to describing how to perform both assays, incorporate details on a LAMP/RT-LAMP-based target amplification step to enable detection of RNA, ssDNA and dsDNA. Furthermore, a protocol for in-house expression and purification of LbCas12a using CL7/lm7-based affinity chromatography, which has been used to achieve a high yield and purity of the enzyme in a single-step, is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long T Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, United States
| | - Jeevan Gurijala
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, United States
| | | | - Brianna L M Pizzano
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, United States
| | - Brandon T Stone
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Science, University of Florida, United States
| | - Piyush K Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, United States; UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, United States.
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