In Silicon Valley, a team of scientists and entrepreneurs at Mammoth Biosciences develop innovative CRISPR systems to enable new possibilities in the field of biology. CRISPR, a robust tool for finding and replacing DNA with great precision, has many applications to potentially correct genetic defects and treat and prevent contagious diseases. This simple yet powerful gene editing tool, co-invented by Mammoth founder Jennifer Doudna, could be a game-changer in areas of chemicals, food and health. Mammoth Biosciences has now taken this tool a step further, using it as a search engine for biology and creating a new class of diagnostic tests.

The pandemic has resulted in global shortages in supplies, slow distribution of resources and high costs for COVID-19 diagnostic tests. This has hampered the ability of healthcare professionals to rapidly diagnose and prevent the spread of the virus. To overcome these challenges, Mammoth has been using their CRISPR system to develop a platform that can provide test results in as little as 30 minutes requiring only materials that hospitals and labs typically keep in stock. This could enable higher testing volumes of patients in a more efficient and scalable manner.

Learn more about Mammoth Biosciences and read a white paper on their method.