According to a press release from the Biophysical Society, gene-editing technology may help accelerate the pace of mpox testing. Experts explained that current diagnostic processes for the virus require the use of specific laboratory equipment and can take several hours to produce results, thereby limiting testing locations and accessibility. In a study presented by Ahamed et al at the 2024 Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, researchers used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene-editing technology to develop a novel mpox test. The researchers combined a genetic sequence with a reporter designed to target the mpox virus. They bound a programmable CRISPR RNA to the target and a Cas12a protein to cleave the reporter into various sized fragments. The researchers then utilized nanopore sensing technology to detect the mpox virus among the fragments. After validating the novel test, they confirmed that it was specific to the mpox virus and did not detect cowpox virus. The time to results was dependent on viral load, but took between 32 and 55 minutes. The researchers hope their novel test will soon become available for use in the clinical setting.