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CRISPR-Based Biosensors Enable Real-Time Ocean Health Monitoring

Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute and MIT have created a low‑cost, field‑deployable CRISPR‑Cas12a biosensor that detects DNA or RNA from key marine barometer species in about 40 minutes. The platform integrates a lateral‑flow strip for instrument‑free visual readout and a 3D‑printed cartridge that filters, lyses, and amplifies nucleic acids directly from seawater. Demonstrated on pathogenic Vibrio, toxin‑producing Pseudo‑nitzschia, and heat‑stressed corals, the system can operate at ambient temperature with lyophilized reagents. The study, published in Nature Sustainability, envisions citizen‑science and industry use for real‑time ocean health monitoring.