New RNA-based “light switch” technology could speed disease testing
Researchers at the University of Florida have unveiled an affordable new technique that can spot single-letter genetic mutations in minutes, which could improve infectious disease testing, cancer genotyping and personalized medicine.
The new system, called FARSIGHT, acts like a programmable molecular “light switch.” When FARSIGHT encounters a perfectly matched genetic sequence, it folds into a fluorescent structure and lights up. Even a one-nucleotide mismatch, which is the smallest possible genetic letter difference, prevents activation.
In a study published in Nature Chemistry, researchers demonstrated that FARSIGHT can distinguish closely related viral variants, including SARS-CoV-2 lineages such as Omicron, with 100% accuracy in clinical saliva samples.
