The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could help to end the pandemic

The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could help to end the pandemic

COVID-19 coronavirus update

Viral diagnostics often rely on a nasal-swab sample, and researchers are developing faster, simpler and cheaper methods of testing. (Xavier Galiana/AFP via Getty) The explosion of new coronavirus tests Research groups around the world are devising diagnostic tests that go beyond PCR — the gold standard. Dozens of methods are in development, all of which detect viral material, but in different ways. Some even use the gene-editing tool CRISPR to home in on genetic snippets of SARS-CoV-2. Once they are available, the tests could work alongside the gold standard to push countries closer to the target of millions of tests per week. “Any new technology that is able to expand the number of tests that we can do is good news,” says biochemist Mitchell O’Connell. Nature | 11 min read