Remote Health

Recent news:

photo of microfluidic device

Streamlined detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva

August 30, 2022

Patrick Hsu’s lab has developed an RNA-extraction-free test for rapid viral detection using saliva via a microfluidic device. The fast, accurate, and portable prototype shows potential as a point-of-care system to support frequent, on-site molecular diagnostics. This work was the August 2022 cover story for Nature Biomedical Engineering.

photo of microfluidic channel

Single-cell studies offer new view of how HIV infections persist

August 8, 2022

Professor Iain Clark, in partnership with graduate program faculty member Adam Abate, was able to analyze single cells harboring latent HIV using a technique that isolates single, infected cells as tiny amounts of blood move through their microfluidic devices. Their work was featured in Science news.

CRISPR-Chip named 2021 Top 10 Innovation by The Scientist

December 2, 2021

Developed by former BioE postdoc Kiana Aran, the CRISPR-Chip now in use in Cardea Bio’s CRISPR-SNP-Chip has been named one of 2021’s Top 10 Innovations by The Scientist magazine. The new chip is the first device capable of detecting single base differences in DNA without generating millions of copies of the DNA first.

Artwork courtesy of Margaret L. Liu, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Using two CRISPR enzymes, a COVID diagnostic in only 20 minutes

August 5, 2021

Patrick Hsu, Liana Lareau and Daniel Fletcher have collaborated on a new rapid COVID test that rivals the sensitivity of the gold-standard qRT-PCR testing, with results in less than an hour.

cala health logo

Cala Health named one of 52 Women-Led Startups Driving The Future Of HealthTech And FemTech

June 29, 2021

Congratulations to BioE PhD alumna Kate Rosenbluth, founder of Cala Health, named to Forbes’ list of “52 Women-Led Startups Driving The Future Of HealthTech And FemTech”. Cala Health creates non-invasive wearable neuromodulation therapies for patients living with chronic diseases.

photo of Lucira test kit

FDA authorizes Lucira home COVID-19 test

April 12, 2021

The FDA has authorized the first single-use, PCR-quality, over the counter COVID-19 test kit, made by alumni startup Lucira!

graphic of how the test device works

How Covid has changed the future of health tests

April 8, 2021

The San Francisco Business Times examines crucial work by Dan Fletcher, Melanie Ott and Jennifer Doudna to create an efficient, smartphone-based CRISPR-cellscope hybrid COVID-19 test.

CRISPR SNP Chip device

CRISPR-Chip advance streamlines genetic testing for medical diagnostics and research

April 6, 2021

Former BioE postdoc Kiana Aran, now a professor at KGI, along with Professor Irina Conboy and other collaborators, have demonstrated new disease-detection capabilities of a hand-held device based on CRISPR gene editing technology, a development that could lead to faster, portable genetic testing for diagnostics and research.

still of video interview with Dan Fletcher

Video – Dan Fletcher on new rapid COVID-19 test that uses smartphone camera

January 14, 2021

Check out this video interview with Professor Dan Fletcher on his collaboration with CRISPR researchers to produce a rapid COVID-19 test using a smartphone camera.