The development of an extensive toolkit for potential point-of-care diagnostics that is expeditiously adaptable to new emerging pathogens is of critical public health importance. Recently, a number of novel CRISPR-based diagnostics have been developed to detect SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we outline the development of an alternative CRISPR nucleic acid diagnostic utilizing a Cas13d ribonuclease derived from Ruminococcus flavefaciens XPD3002 (CasRx) to detect SARS-CoV-2, an approach we term SENSR (sensitive enzymatic nucleic acid sequence reporter) that can detect attomolar concentrations of SARS-CoV-2. We demonstrate 100% sensitivity in patient-derived samples by lateral flow and fluorescence readout with a detection limit of 45 copy/μL. This technology expands the available nucleic acid diagnostic toolkit, which can be adapted to combat future pandemics.

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the principal vector for arboviruses including dengue/yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus, infecting hundreds of millions of people annually. Unfortunately, traditional control methodologies are insufficient, so innovative control methods are needed. To complement existing measures, here we develop a molecular genetic control system termed precision-guided sterile insect technique (pgSIT) in Aedes aegypti. PgSIT uses a simple CRISPR-based approach to generate flightless females and sterile males that are deployable at any life stage. Supported by mathematical models, we empirically demonstrate that released pgSIT males can compete, suppress, and even eliminate mosquito populations. This platform technology could be used in the field, and adapted to many vectors, for controlling wild populations to curtail disease in a safe, confinable, and reversible manner.