On September 20, 2020, the commercial launch of the Tata CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) Covid-19 test, ‘Feluda’, has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India. The test uses an indigenously developed, cutting-edge CRISPR technology for detection of the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Feluda achieves accuracy levels of traditional RT-PCR tests with quicker turnaround time, less expensive equipment, and better ease of use.
CRISPR, in the Ecoli genome discovered by Jennifer Anne Doudna, using is a genome editing technology to diagnose diseases. It is a simple yet powerful tool for editing genomes, which allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify gene function. These organisms use CRISPR-derived RNA and various Cas proteins, including Cas9, to defend attacks by viruses and other foreign bodies. Initially discovered in the E. coli genome in 1987, their functions were elucidated in 2007 as a safeguard against bacteriophages.
Courtesy: business-standard.com, livescience