CRISPR Test Accelerates Mycobacterial Diagnosis

Nanodroplet technology identifies multiple mycobacterial species within hours, offering a faster route to targeted treatment decisions

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CANDI combines broad-range DNA amplification with species-specific CRISPR recognition to identify 15 clinically relevant mycobacterial species within hours.
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The platform uses fluorescently labeled nanodroplets to identify multiple mycobacterial species simultaneously.
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In evaluation, CANDI identified mixtures of up to five species, including closely related organisms in the Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium avium complexes.
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Clinical testing showed high agreement with culture-based identification, and CANDI detected some organisms missed by conventional methods.
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Molecular detection cannot distinguish active infection from colonization, and manual workflow steps and the need for further validation remain barriers to routine use.

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