CRISPR/Cas-Based Diagnostics in Agricultural Applications

Pests and disease-causing pathogens frequently impedeagriculturalproduction. An early and efficient diagnostic tool is crucial foreffective disease management. Clustered regularly interspaced shortpalindromic repeats (CRISPR) and the CRISPR-associated protein (Cas)have recently been harnessed to develop diagnostic tools. The CRISPR/Cassystem, composed of the Cas endonuclease and guide RNA, enables preciseidentification and cleavage of the target nucleic acids. The inherentsensitivity, high specificity, and rapid assay time of the CRISPR/Cassystem make it an effective alternative for diagnosing plant pathogensand identifying genetically modified crops. Furthermore, its potentialfor multiplexing and suitability for point-of-care testing at thefield level provide advantages over traditional diagnostic systemssuch as RT-PCR, LAMP, and NGS. In this review, we discuss the recentdevelopments in CRISPR/Cas based diagnostics and their implicationsin various agricultural applications. We have also emphasized themajor challenges with possible solutions and provided insights intofuture perspectives and potential applications of the CRISPR/Cas systemin agriculture.