GIST develops universal gene detection technology to diagnose various diseases within 20 minutes
Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST, President Lim Ki-cheol) announced on the 30th that Professor Kim Min-gon’s team in the Department of Chemistry presented a next-generation genetic diagnosis technology that can flexibly design and detect target genes for various diseases.
Gene-based diagnostic technology, which diagnoses diseases based on genetic information (DNA or RNA) contained in the body or virus, is widely used in the diagnosis of various diseases.
Gene amplification testing (PCR), which is currently used as a standard diagnostic method, has high accuracy and sensitivity, but has limitations in that it takes a long time and requires specialized equipment and personnel. ‘One-pot CRISPR’, which combines ‘CRISPR’, which targets specific genes related to diseases, and isothermal amplification technology, which replicates genes quickly and in large numbers at a constant temperature, is attracting attention.
However, these technologies have limitations that limit the flexibility of design, making it difficult to find optimal conditions for each gene because the reaction speed of finding a gene and producing a signal is different and difficult to control.
The research team presented a new approach that can universally detect target genes for diagnosing the presence or absence of disease by controlling gene scissor technology. Here, a short gene fragment (oligo) was introduced to act like a brake to control the speed, allowing the speed of the process of cutting the gene and emitting a signal to be independently controlled.
As a result of the experiment, infection was determined within about 20 minutes. It showed a similar level of accuracy and sensitivity as quantitative PCR, confirming that rapid and highly reliable diagnosis is possible compared to existing methods. Clinical applicability was also demonstrated.
This technology is not limited to specific diseases and can be universally applied to various genetic targets. By adjusting the design of the oligo, it can be applied to a variety of fields, from infectious diseases such as COVID-19 to the diagnosis of various cancers, and multiple diseases can be diagnosed with a single platform.
Professor Min-Gon Kim said, “This study is not a technology for one specific disease, but is meaningful in that it presents the possibility of a diagnostic platform that can be designed for various genetic targets.” He added, “Currently, the performance was verified based on samples derived from actual infectious disease patients, but we expect that it can be expanded and applied to various fields such as cancer and genetic diseases.”
Gwangju = Reporter Kim Han-sik hskim@etnews.com
