Harvard College

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Broad Institute, Inc.

Catherine Amanda Freije

Pardis Sabeti

Cameron Myhrvold

Feng Zhang

Omar O Abudayyeh

Jonathan S Gootenberg

James Joseph Collins

Eric S Lander

Anna Elizabeth Lachenauer

Kayla Grace Barnes

CRISPR EFFECTOR SYSTEM BASED DIAGNOSTICS FOR HEMORRHAGIC FEVER DETECTION

The present invention offers a new approach for highly multiplexed, programmable antiviral therapies that directly target viral RNA, and can be flexibly adapted to target novel viruses or emerging outbreak pathogens. Class 2, type VI CRISPR system-based therapies can be used in combination with existing antiviral compounds for viruses where such compounds exist, either by increasing their efficacy or by preventing the evolution of specific drug resistance mutations. Perhaps most excitingly, if a virus evolves resistance to a specific guide RNA sequence, it is easy to switch to a different guide RNA sequence, or to design a new guide sequence to target the new mutation. Such approaches should prevent the widespread development of resistance to Class 2, type VI CRISPR system-based therapies.

CRISPR system based antiviral therapy

Provided herein is a nucleic acid detection system comprising: a CRISPR system comprising an effector protein and one or more guide RNAs designed to bind to corresponding target molecules; an RNA-based masking construct; and optionally, nucleic acid amplification reagents to amplify target RNA molecules in a sample. In another aspect, the embodiments provide a polypeptide detection system comprising: a CRISPR system comprising an effector protein and one or more guide RNAs designed to bind a trigger RNA, an RNA-based masking construct; and one or more detection aptamers comprising a masked RNA polymerase promoter binding site or a masked primer binding site. In some embodiments, the system may be used to detect viruses in samples.

CRISPR effector system based diagnostics for virus detection

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Catherine Amanda Freije