posted on 2022-01-14, 17:35authored byGrant
A. Rybnicky, Radeen A. Dixon, Robert M. Kuhn, Ashty S. Karim, Michael C. Jewett
Training
the future synthetic biology workforce requires the opportunity
for students to be exposed to biotechnology concepts and activities
in secondary education. Detecting Wolbachia bacteria in arthropods using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has
become a common way for secondary students to investigate and apply
recombinant DNA technology in the science classroom. Despite this
important activity, cutting-edge biotechnologies such as clustered
regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-based diagnostics
have yet to be widely implemented in the classroom. To address this
gap, we present a freeze-dried CRISPR-Cas12 sensing reaction to complement
traditional recombinant DNA technology education and teach synthetic
biology concepts. The reactions accurately detect Wolbachia from arthropod-derived PCR samples in under 2 h and can be stored
at room temperature for over a month without appreciable degradation.
The reactions are easy-to-use and cost less than $40 to implement
for a classroom of 22 students including the cost of reusable equipment.
We see these freeze-dried CRISPR-Cas12 reactions as an accessible
way to incorporate synthetic biology education into the existing biology
curriculum, which will expand biology educational opportunities in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.