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CascAID

Problem Although there are many diagnose tests available that can detect even the smallest traces of a pathogen, they usually require expensive lab-equipment or skilled labor. Usually, places most prone to diseases are also the ones most lacking such equipment or personal, and thus, where tests are least asequible. Many different diseases can present similar symptoms. But because the treatment for each of them can vary greatly (e.g. bacterial vs viral infetion), a quick and reliable diagnose is important to start as soon as possible with the right treatment. On the other hand, wrongly recognizing the cause of a disease not only leads to prescription of the wrong medicine, but also can contribute to the spread of resistances. New diagnose tool must take these points into consideration and be designed with affordability, availability, simplicity and reliability in mind, and, where possible, be flexible enough to cover a wide array of diseases in order to present the user with a single, powerful product.

Solution We are working at a diagnose tool that combines the power of high sensible methods with the affordability needed for a wide application field. Our project, named CascAID, utilizes the CRISPR/Cas effector Cas13a to quickly and reliably test for different pathogens based on their RNA. By cleaverly designing a short RNA sequence, it is possible to guide Cas13a to only cleave RNA molecules belonging to a pathogen. Once the target has been digested, Cas13a becomes active and cleaves indiscriminately other RNA molecules. If the sample contained pathogen, then digested RNA will be found, where as a negative sample won't produce digestion fragments. To provide an affordable product, CascAID will be implemented on paper-strips, using deep-freeze technologie that allows proteins and other organic molecules to remain active over long periods of time, even at room temperature. Thanks to the cheapness of paper as a material, CascAID-strips can be single use, thus reducing the risk of cross-contamination without increasing the costs of manufacture.

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