CRISPR-based genetic diagnostics in microgravity

Dan Mark Alon, Karin Mittelman, Eytan Stibbe, Stefanie Countryman, Louis Stodieck, Shankini Doraisingam, Dylan Mikeala Leal Martin, Eliran Raphael Hamo, Gur Pines, David Burstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Monitoring astronauts' health during space missions poses many challenges, including rapid assessment of crew health conditions. Sensitive genetic diagnostics are crucial for examining crew members and the spacecraft environment. CRISPR-Cas12a, coupled with isothermal amplification, has proven to be a promising biosensing system for rapid, on-site detection of genomic targets. However, the efficiency and sensitivity of CRISPR-based diagnostics have never been tested in microgravity. We tested the use of recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) coupled with the collateral cleavage activity of Cas12a for genetic diagnostics onboard the International Space Station. We explored the detection sensitivity of amplified and unamplified target DNA. By coupling RPA with Cas12a, we identified targets in attomolar concentrations. We further assessed the reactions' stability following long-term storage. Our results demonstrate that CRISPR-based detection is a powerful tool for on-site genetic diagnostics in microgravity, and can be further utilized for long-term space endeavors to improve astronauts' health and well-being.

Original languageEnglish
Article number115479
JournalBiosensors and Bioelectronics
Volume237
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Oct 2023

Keywords

  • Amplification
  • Cas12
  • DNA
  • Detection
  • Space

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Biotechnology
  • Biophysics
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Electrochemistry

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