Rapid and accurate species identification for ecological studies and monitoring using CRISPR-based SHERLOCK

One of the most foundational aspects of ecological studies and monitoring is accurate species identification, but cryptic speciation and observer error can confound phenotype-based identification. The CRISPR-Cas toolkit has facilitated remarkable advances in many scientific disciplines, but the fields of ecology and conservation biology have yet to fully embrace this powerful technology. The recently developed CRISPR-Cas13a platform SHERLOCK (Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing) enables highly accurate taxonomic identification and has all the characteristics needed to transition to ecological and environmental disciplines. Here we conducted a series of proof of principle experiments to characterize SHERLOCK’s ability to accurately, sensitively, and rapidly distinguished three fish species (two with protected status and one non-native) co-occurring in the San Francisco Estuary which are easily misidentified in the field. We improved SHERLOCK’s ease of field deployment ...