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Rice University researchers improve CRISPR enzyme for detecting RNA viruses

An engineered Cas13a enzyme reaches 100 times the sensitivity of its original version when detecting RNA.

By Standard Topic. AI-generated from the reporting listed under Coverage. Published . Updated .

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What happened

Researchers at Rice University have engineered an improved version of Cas13a, a CRISPR enzyme that targets RNA, the genetic material found in viruses such as HIV. The enhanced enzyme can detect RNA with 100 times greater sensitivity than its original version.

Why it matters

The improvement could help detection of HIV and other RNA viruses.

Coverage

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