CRISPR/Cas biosensing technology: From lab assays to integrated portable devices towards wearables

Clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system exhibits considerable potential in life science and bioengineering due to its exceptional sensitivity and specificity in gene editing and biosensing technology. While substantial efforts have been invested over the past decade in developing versatile CRISPR/Cas biosensing methods, the challenges of translating CRISPR/Cas technology into integrated biosensing devices (especially emerging wearables) for point-of-care (POC) applications persist. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the development of CRISPR/Cas biosensing systems, transitioning from complex lab assays to relatively integrated portable devices supported by novel technologies and advanced platforms (such as lateral flow assay, microfluidics, portable electrochemical biochips, etc.). The intrinsic benefits of various biosensing platforms bolster the CRISPR/Cas system's capacity for high-throughput, multiplexed and automation detection. The article aims to serve as a concise resource, inspiring further combinations of CRISPR/Cas technology with advanced biosensing platforms for POC health monitoring, disease diagnosis and personalized medicine.