The rapid advancements in CRISPR technologies, nanomaterials, and optogenetics have revolutionized biosensing and genetic engineering, offering unprecedented precision and sensitivity. CRISPR-powered biosensors, when integrated with platforms such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or electrochemical detection, provide rapid, real-time diagnostics for viral variants and genetic disorders. Concurrently, nanomaterials like DNA origami and black phosphorus quantum dots enable single-base resolution and site-specific DNA manipulation, making early cancer detection and gene-editing therapies more accurate. These innovations hold transformative potential in fields ranging from disease diagnostics to therapeutic gene editing, addressing challenges in precision medicine, early diagnostics, and genetic manipulation.This Research Topic aims to address the growing need for faster, more sensitive, and precise biosensing and gene manipulation tools in clinical and research settings. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of rapid diagnostics, especially for viral variants, while early cancer detection continues to challenge current technologies. The integration of CRISPR systems with advanced biosensing technologies—such as SPR or electrochemical sensors—has made significant strides, but broader applications in clinical diagnostics, real-time monitoring, and genetic disorder analysis are still evolving. Similarly, enzyme-free genetic engineering approaches using nanomaterials, such as DNA origami and quantum dots, offer new pathways for site-specific DNA cleavage, improving gene-editing accuracy and reducing off-target effects. This issue seeks to gather insights into the latest developments in these fields, encouraging submissions that explore novel biosensing technologies, single-base detection, and optogenetic tools for genetic manipulation.This Research Topic invites contributions focusing on CRISPR-empowered biosensors, nanomaterial-based sensing platforms, and photonic technologies for gene manipulation and diagnostics. Submissions should address innovations in biosensing, particularly those offering single-base resolution, ultrasensitive detection, and real-time diagnostics for viral mutations, cancer markers, and genetic disorders. We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives covering a wide range of applications, including but not limited to early cancer detection, viral variant diagnostics, and gene-editing technologies. Manuscripts demonstrating novel integration of CRISPR with photonic or electrochemical sensors, as well as enzyme-free DNA cleavage approaches, are particularly encouraged. Authors are invited to contribute cutting-edge research that pushes the boundaries of precision diagnostics, optogenetics, and nanotechnology for transformative medical applications.
The rapid advancements in CRISPR technologies, nanomaterials, and optogenetics have revolutionized biosensing and genetic engineering, offering unprecedented precision and sensitivity. CRISPR-powered biosensors, when integrated with platforms such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or electrochemical detection, provide rapid, real-time diagnostics for viral variants and genetic disorders. Concurrently, nanomaterials like DNA origami and black phosphorus quantum dots enable single-base resolution and site-specific DNA manipulation, making early cancer detection and gene-editing therapies more accurate. These innovations hold transformative potential in fields ranging from disease diagnostics to therapeutic gene editing, addressing challenges in precision medicine, early diagnostics, and genetic manipulation.This Research Topic aims to address the growing need for faster, more sensitive, and precise biosensing and gene manipulation tools in clinical and research settings. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of rapid diagnostics, especially for viral variants, while early cancer detection continues to challenge current technologies. The integration of CRISPR systems with advanced biosensing technologies—such as SPR or electrochemical sensors—has made significant strides, but broader applications in clinical diagnostics, real-time monitoring, and genetic disorder analysis are still evolving. Similarly, enzyme-free genetic engineering approaches using nanomaterials, such as DNA origami and quantum dots, offer new pathways for site-specific DNA cleavage, improving gene-editing accuracy and reducing off-target effects. This issue seeks to gather insights into the latest developments in these fields, encouraging submissions that explore novel biosensing technologies, single-base detection, and optogenetic tools for genetic manipulation.This Research Topic invites contributions focusing on CRISPR-empowered biosensors, nanomaterial-based sensing platforms, and photonic technologies for gene manipulation and diagnostics. Submissions should address innovations in biosensing, particularly those offering single-base resolution, ultrasensitive detection, and real-time diagnostics for viral mutations, cancer markers, and genetic disorders. We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives covering a wide range of applications, including but not limited to early cancer detection, viral variant diagnostics, and gene-editing technologies. Manuscripts demonstrating novel integration of CRISPR with photonic or electrochemical sensors, as well as enzyme-free DNA cleavage approaches, are particularly encouraged. Authors are invited to contribute cutting-edge research that pushes the boundaries of precision diagnostics, optogenetics, and nanotechnology for transformative medical applications.