As scientists race to find new diagnostic tests for the COVID-19 coronavirus, molecular and cell biology professor Jennifer Doudna is working on solutions using the CRISPR gene-editing technology she co-invented. Through Mammoth Biosciences, a biotechnology startup she co-founded, she aims to validate the CRISPR-based approach called DETECTR. It uses CRISPR to recognize specific genetic sequences and cut them. In the process, it also cuts a 'reporter' molecule added to the reaction, and that quickly shows if the viral genetic material is present. "Every single time we have an outbreak, we're one step behind in that we don't have a rapid diagnostic to detect that new organism," says Charles Chiu, an infectious-diseases physician at UCSF, who is working with Mammoth Biosciences. "The key advantage is that a CRISPR reaction is incredibly specific and can be done in 5–10 minutes." Another story on this topic appeared in Science.