All-in-one dual CRISPR-Cas12a (AIOD-CRISPR) assay protocol for SARS-CoV-2 detection

Abstract This protocol presents the all-in-one dual CRISPR-Cas12a (AIOD-CRISPR) assay to ultra-sensitively and visually detect SARS-CoV-2. The procedure of AIOD-CRISPR assay typically consists of three parts including sample preparation, AIOD-CRISPR reaction, and fluorescence detection. Sample preparation involves the synthetic RNA preparation and the nucleic acid extraction from SARS-CoV-2 samples. The prepared nucleic acids were then added into the AIOD-CRISPR reaction systems as templates, followed by incubation at 37°C for 20-40 min. After incubation, visual detection was immediately conducted by placing the tubes in a portable LED blue transilluminator (Maestrogen UltraSlim) or the ChemiDoc™ MP Imaging System (Bio-Rad) with its built-in UV channel. In addition to endpoint visual detection, real-time fluorescence detection was also available for AIOD-CRISPR assay. This protocol is helpful for applying AIOD-CRISPR assay to rapid, sensitive, one-pot point-of-care SARS-CoV-2 detection.