University of Florida receives NIH grant to develop innovative CRISPR HIV self-testing technology

With a five-year grant of up to $2.8 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers at the University of Florida are developing a portable HIV self-test device based on CRISPR technology.

New York - With a five-year grant of up to $2.8 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of Florida researchers are developing a portable HIV self-test device based on CRISPR technology. The device, which can be used in home and medical Settings, enables early detection of HIV RNA in the blood within a few weeks of infection and results within 30 minutes.

Piyush Jain, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Florida, said his team was conducting a test The test combines CRISPR-Cas12b with detection and fluorescence reporter molecules based on reverse transcription-loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), allowing visual or sensor-based detection. This CRISPR-based HIV self-testing technology not only offers the possibility of early diagnosis, but is also expected to improve the coverage and efficiency of HIV testing worldwide due to its portability and rapidity.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 39,000 people with HIV are diagnosed each year in the United States, increasing the number of infections worldwide to about 1.7 million, of whom 20 percent do not know they have HIV. The University of Florida notes that in the early stages of infection, patients can spread the virus without knowing it. However, preliminary research by Jain's team shows that their testbed could identify the virus in the early weeks of infection, be affordable, accurate, easy to use, fast, and portable, and could potentially reduce transmission caused by being unaware of one's HIV status.

Dr Piyush Jain, assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Florida, said: "This research is critical for the early detection of HIV worldwide. Our goal is to develop a highly advanced and user-friendly test kit that can detect potential problems before they escalate."

At present, the project is in an intense research and development stage. Once successfully marketed, this CRISPR-based HIV self-testing device will bring revolutionary changes to the global fight against AIDS. Let us hope that this innovation will bring benefits to human health.