13 COVID-19 RESPONSE
DELIVERING SIMPLE, FAST AND ACCURATE COVID-19 DIAGNOSTIC SOLUTIONS KAUST research team creates user-friendly point-of-care test kits
Real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the most widely used method for detecting RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Unfortunately, as a testing method, it has several glaring downsides: RT-PCR testing requires highly trained personnel and sophisticated infrastructure, and involves transporting samples to central laboratories for analysis. KAUST Associate Professor of Bioengineering Magdy Mahfouz and his team have developed a user-friendly SARS-CoV-2 virus-detection method that could ultimately be as easy to use as a pregnancy test or glucose sensor. Associate Professor Mahfouz and his team have developed a solution they call iSCAN for in-vitro CRISPR-based analysis for nucleic acid detection. It is a system that involves reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), coupled with CRISPR enzymes for the rapid, accurate and sensitive detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. To use iSCAN, a patient’s nasopharyngeal swab sample is placed in a small test tube containing the DNA primers and enzymes that can amplify SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. The contents are incubated at a temperature of 62°C for half an hour. This process is referred to as RT-LAMP. Once enough viral RNA is amplified, a droplet containing the enzyme Cas12 is added to the
KING SAUD UNIVERSITY “KAUST’s iSCAN revolutionizes our ability to conduct massive-scale testing, which will help public health authorities understand the transmission of the virus, build predictive models and employ effective
measures to control the spread.” May alRashed, Dean of the College of Nursing at King Saud University
