We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

AACC 2017 Focus on CRISPR and Futuristic Testing Devices

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 01 Aug 2017

At the 69th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, the world’s largest exposition for clinical laboratory products and services, over 750 exhibitors displayed pioneering diagnostic technology, including the latest in mobile health, molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, point-of-care, and automation. But the focus was largely on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), Star Trek-like testing devices, and antibiotic resistance.

Kalorama Information, (New York, NY, USA), an independent medical market research firm, estimates the market for CRISPR to be worth USD 28 billion and believes that gene editing is reaching mainstream testing. According to experts, CRISPR will be first used to treat people for blood-related diseases in a way similar to a bone marrow transplant, but to correct a person’s own blood-producing cells instead of implanting donated ones.

The 2017 AACC Clinical Lab Expo held at the San Diego Convention Center from July 30–August 3, also featured a talk by CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna, PhD, on the future of genome engineering using this revolutionary tool, as well as a plenary on the clinical lab's critical role in combating the antibiotic resistance crisis.

Among the exhibitors at the event was Final Frontier Medical Devices, which presented its real-life Star Trek tricorder for the first time at a U.S. scientific conference. The mobile health device, named DxtER, weighs less than five pounds and allows users to monitor five real-time health vital signs and diagnose 34 diseases without the help of a clinician.

Related Links:
Kalorama Information

Visit expo >

Gold Member

Cardiovascular Risk Test

Metabolic Syndrome Array I & II

Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®

Autoimmune Liver Diseases Assay

Microblot-Array Liver Profile Kit

Sperm Quality Analyis Kit

QwikCheck Beads Precision and Linearity Kit

Latest AACC 2017 News

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel

Image: Schematic diagram of esophageal cancer cell identification research process (Photo courtesy of GE Dianlong)

VOCs Show Promise for Early Multi-Cancer Detection

Early cancer detection is critical to improving survival rates, but most current screening methods focus on individual cancer types and often involve invasive procedures. This makes it difficult to identify... Read more

Image: Portable Raman spectroscopy could help detect kidney disease at POC (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Portable Raman Spectroscopy Offers Cost-Effective Kidney Disease Diagnosis at POC

Kidney disease is typically diagnosed through blood or urine tests, often when patients present with symptoms such as blood in urine, shortness of breath, or weight loss. While these tests are common,... Read more

Image: Mesoporous gold nanoparticles have unique biosensing capabilities (Photo courtesy of The University of Queensland)

Gold Nanoparticles to Improve Accuracy of Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

Ovarian cancer is considered one of the deadliest cancers, in part because it rarely shows clear symptoms in its early stages, and diagnosis is often complex. Current approaches make it difficult to accurately... Read more

Simultaneous Cell Isolation Technology Improves Cancer Diagnostic Accuracy

Accurate cancer diagnosis remains a challenge, as liquid biopsy techniques often fail to capture the complexity of tumor biology. Traditional systems for isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) vary in... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel

Image: A researcher demonstrates a portable POC diagnostic device for detecting asymptomatic malaria cases (Photo courtesy of Imperial College London)

Rapid POC Diagnostic Test Detects Asymptomatic Malaria Cases

Malaria is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide, with around 95% of all deaths occurring in Africa. Asymptomatic infections are a major driver of ongoing transmission because individuals... Read more

Image: The nanorate sequencing method reduces error rates to less than 5 errors per billion calls (Photo courtesy of Wellcome Sanger Institute)

Improved DNA Sequencing Tool Uncovers Hidden Mutations Driving Cancer

As humans age, their cells naturally accumulate DNA mutations, most of which are harmless, but some can give cells a growth advantage and initiate cancer. Detecting these rare mutations in normal tissues... Read more

Image: Integration of genomic sequencing into newborn blood screening can enable earlier detection of rare diseases (Photo courtesy of MCRI)

Newborn Genomic Screening Enables More Lifesaving Diagnoses

Early detection of rare genetic conditions in newborns can be lifesaving, yet current screening methods identify only a limited number of disorders. The standard heel-prick test screens for just 32 conditions,... Read more

Blood Protein Tests Could Identify Distinct Molecular Fingerprints of Multiple Diseases

Accurately distinguishing disease-related molecular changes from common biological variations has long been a challenge in clinical diagnostics, often leading to false alarms in blood test results.... Read more

Hematology

view channel

Viscoelastic Testing Could Improve Treatment of Maternal Hemorrhage

Postpartum hemorrhage, severe bleeding after childbirth, remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, yet many of these deaths are preventable. Standard care can be hindered by delays... Read more

Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Image: Platelets sequester cfDNA during circulation (Murphy L. et al., Science, 2025; DOI: 10.1126/science.adp3971)

Platelets Could Improve Early and Minimally Invasive Detection of Cancer

Platelets are widely recognized for their role in blood clotting and scab formation, but they also play a crucial role in immune defense by detecting pathogens and recruiting immune cells.... Read more

Image: The microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood (Photo courtesy of University of the Basque Country)

Portable and Disposable Device Obtains Platelet-Rich Plasma Without Complex Equipment

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) plays a crucial role in regenerative medicine due to its ability to accelerate healing and repair tissue. However, obtaining PRP traditionally requires expensive centrifugation... Read more

Immunology

view channel

Blood Test Tracks Treatment Resistance in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage because it spreads microscopically throughout the abdomen, and although initial surgery and chemotherapy can work, most... Read more

Image: The tool enables scientists to track real-time fluctuations in T cell function with unprecedented speed and precision (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Luminescent Probe Measures Immune Cell Activity in Real Time

The human immune system plays a vital role in defending against disease, but its activity must be precisely monitored to ensure effective treatment in cancer therapy, autoimmune disorders, and organ transplants.... Read more

Blood-Based Immune Cell Signatures Could Guide Treatment Decisions for Critically Ill Patients

When a patient enters the emergency department in critical condition, clinicians must rapidly decide whether the patient has an infection, whether it is bacterial or viral, and whether immediate treatment... Read more

Image: Automated cell imaging discriminates CD8+ T cells according to natalizumab treatment outcome in MS patients (B Chaves et al., Nat Commun 16, 5533 (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60224-3)

Novel Tool Predicts Most Effective Multiple Sclerosis Medication for Patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune and degenerative neurological disease that affects the central nervous system, leading to motor, cognitive, and mental impairments. Symptoms can include... Read more

Microbiology

view channel

Image: Sugar fingerprints open new possibilities for faster and more reliable diagnosis of fungal infections (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Fast Noninvasive Bedside Test Uses Sugar Fingerprint to Detect Fungal Infections

Candida bloodstream infections are a growing global health threat, causing an estimated 6 million cases and 3.8 million deaths annually. Hospitals are particularly vulnerable, as weakened patients after... Read more

Image: A clinical test and handheld device could quickly classify sepsis patients into two groups (Photo courtesy of Sara Moser/WashU Medicine)

Rapid Sepsis Diagnostic Device to Enable Personalized Critical Care for ICU Patients

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to infection spirals out of control, damaging organs and leading to critical illness. Patients often arrive at intensive care... Read more

Image: The CD Chip (top) and The CD² Chip (bottom) (Photo courtesy of YANG Xiao)

Microfluidic Platform Assesses Neutrophil Function in Sepsis Patients

Sepsis arises from infection and immune dysregulation, with neutrophils playing a central role in its progression. However, current clinical tools are unable to both isolate these cells and assess their... Read more

New Diagnostic Method Confirms Sepsis Infections Earlier

Sepsis remains one of the most dangerous medical emergencies, often progressing rapidly and becoming fatal without timely intervention. Each hour of delayed treatment in septic shock reduces patient survival... Read more

Pathology

view channel

Image: A UMAP graphical depiction of 45,963 cancer cells from patients whose chronic lymphocytic leukemia has transformed into a more aggressive type (Photo courtesy of the Nam lab)

New Multi-Omics Tool Illuminates Cancer Progression

Tracking how cancers evolve into more aggressive and therapy-resistant forms has long been a challenge for researchers. Many current tools can only capture limited genetic information from tumor samples,... Read more

New Technique Detects Genetic Mutations in Brain Tumors During Surgery within 25 Minutes

Determining the genetic profile of brain tumors during surgery is crucial for improving patient outcomes, but conventional analysis methods can take up to two days, delaying critical decisions.... Read more

New Imaging Tech to Improve Diagnosis and Treatment of Skin Cancers

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide, and accurately assessing tumor invasion or treatment response remains a major clinical challenge. Current imaging methods, such as confocal microscopy... Read more

Serially Testing Brain Tumor Samples Reveals Treatment Response in Glioblastoma Patients

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain cancer, known for rapid growth, recurrence, and resistance to treatment. Understanding how tumors respond to therapy remains challenging since imaging... Read more

Technology

view channel

Image: The acoustofluidic device is designed for sample preparation and detection of small extracellular vesicles (Photo courtesy of Tony Jun Huang/Duke University)

Acoustofluidic Device to Transform Point-Of-Care sEV-Based Diagnostics

Rapid and sensitive detection of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs)—key biomarkers in cancer and organ health monitoring—remains challenging due to the need for multiple preprocessing steps and bulky... Read more

AI Algorithm Assesses Progressive Decline in Kidney Function

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 700 million people worldwide and remains a major global health challenge. The condition often progresses silently, and many patients remain undiagnosed until... Read more

Image: The technology enables infected individuals to detect an infection within minutes, without requiring a laboratory, electricity, or medical personnel (Raschig, M. et al., ACS Central Science (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.5c01179)

Taste-Based Influenza Test Could Replace Nasal Swabs with Chewing Gum

Influenza is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases worldwide, claiming around half a million lives each year. What makes it particularly insidious is that flu viruses are contagious even before... Read more

$Image: The technology could be used for the early diagnosis of diseases such as cancers and Alzheimer\'s (Photo courtesy of PolyU)$

3D Micro-Printed Sensors to Advance On-Chip Biosensing for Early Disease Detection

Early-stage disease diagnosis depends on the ability to detect biomarkers with exceptional sensitivity and precision. However, traditional biosensing technologies struggle with achieving this at the micro-scale,... Read more

Industry

view channel

Bio-Techne and Oxford Nanopore to Accelerate Development of Genetics Portfolio

Bio-Techne Corporation (Minneapolis, MN, USA) has expanded its agreement with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK) to broaden Bio-Techne's ability to develop a portfolio of genetic products on Oxford... Read more

Terumo BCT and Hemex Health Collaborate to Improve Access to Testing for Hemoglobin Disorders

Millions of people worldwide living with sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin disorders experience delayed diagnosis and limited access to effective care, particularly in regions where testing is scarce.... Read more

Revvity and Sanofi Collaborate on Program to Revolutionize Early Detection of Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a lifelong autoimmune condition in which the immune system destroys the pancreas’s insulin-producing beta cells, leading to dependence on insulin therapy. Early detection is critical... Read more

$Image: GenesisBPS strengthens GSI Group\'s global platform with mission-critical blood processing equipment and consumables (Photo courtesy of GenesisBPS)$

GSI Group Acquires Blood Processing Equipment Manufacturer GenesisBPS

Blood processing and storage are vital to healthcare and clinical practice, ensuring safe transfusions and cellular therapies. However, hospitals and laboratories worldwide face challenges in maintaining... Read more