New gene-editing test spots probiotic bacteria in 90 minutes
Li X, Lu H, Li S, Chitrakar B, Gu X
Crispr
If you ferment your own sauerkraut, kimchi, or pickles from garden vegetables, this kind of rapid test is the same technology that could one day confirm your homemade brew has the right beneficial bacteria rather than contaminants.
Pediococcus is a helpful bacteria that lives on plants, in animal guts, and in fermented foods like sauerkraut and some cheeses. Researchers combined two lab techniques, a precise DNA-copying trick and the CRISPR gene-scissors system, to build a test that spots this bacteria faster and more sensitively than older methods, taking about an hour and a half instead of much longer.
Key Findings
The new ARMS-CRISPR/Cas12a method detects a specific gene marker (16S rRNA SNP) unique to Pediococcus species with high specificity
Detection limit reached 8.15 × 10^-5 ng/μL of genomic DNA, far more sensitive than standard gel electrophoresis
Full detection process took approximately 1.5 hours under optimized conditions (Cas12a:crRNA ratio of 1:1 at 37°C)
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists built a fast, highly sensitive test that can detect Pediococcus bacteria, a common probiotic found in fermented foods and gut microbiomes, in about 90 minutes using a gene-editing tool called CRISPR/Cas12a.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Rapid and simple detection of Pediococcus using ARMS-CRISPR/Cas12a method.
Pediococcus spp. are lactic acid bacteria, which are prevalent in various environments, including plants and animals. Notably, they constitute a significant component of the intestinal microbiota i...
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