Emerging microfluidic technologies for CRISPR-based diagnostics: an overview

In recent years, CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) has emerged as a detection technique with high specificity and sensitivity. However, it still needs improvements in terms of reducing cost, complexity, cross-contamination, technical requirements, and lack of quantification platforms. Microfluidic strategies can advance CRISPR-based technology and be modified to a higher level in the future. This review provides an overview of CRISPR-based detection systems (CRISPR-Dx) and their mechanism. Then, it explains how they have been optimized for fast and accurate point-of-care testing (POCT) using microfluidic devices such as SHINE, CARMEN, DNAiTECH, Dμchip, MAPnavi, FAST, and ITP. We discuss their innovations, primarily focusing on how they develop CRISPR-Dx in detection throughput, quantification, simple operation, visualization, sensitivity, specificity, and anti-contamination.