BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence K.A.V. Kohabir METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260409T134500 DTEND:20260409T151500 DTSTAMP:20260409T134500 UID:2026/phd-defence-k-a-v-kohabir@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260418T225007 LOCATION:Hoofdgebouw, Aula De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam SUMMARY:PhD defence K.A.V. Kohabir X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Picking Up the Pieces

Smart scissors become DNA detectives: CRISPR detects diseases in blood

Kavish Kohabir investigated how we can make blood-bas ed genetic testing more accurate, faster, and more accessible. Such t ests are important for prenatal screening and cancer diagnosis, among other things, but are hampered by the fact that the relevant DNA in blood is often scarce and fragmented.
His research focused on two related questions. First: how does this circulating DNA arise, and ca n we exploit patterns in this fragmentation to improve diagnostics? S econd: how can new molecular detection techniques be used to detect g enetic abnormalities with sensitivity and precision? The concrete imp etus for his research is the growing need for cost-effective, reliabl e, non-invasive genetic testing that can also be used outside of spec ialized laboratories.

Kohabir explains that DNA fragments in bl ood are not randomly generated but exhibit recognizable patterns that convey information about their origin, for example, whether they ori ginate from a tumor or from an unborn child. This so-called "fragment omics" can be used to make diagnostic tests more sensitive and specif ic.
He also demonstrates that CRISPR, a technology primarily known for genetic modification, can also be used as an extremely precise " molecular detector" for genetic abnormalities. By intelligently optim izing CRISPR systems, we could detect specific mutations faster and m ore reliably, even without complex laboratory equipment.
Together, these findings demonstrate that combining knowledge of DNA fragmenta tion with CRISPR technology offers possibilities for genetic diagnost ics based on a simple blood test.

Kohabir's findings contribute to the development of future blood tests that should not only be mor e accurate but also simpler and less expensive.
In the future, thi s could result in a rapid (self-)test that can help doctors detect tu mor mutations or monitor the effect of treatment from a blood sample, without the need for large-scale DNA sequencing. These insights can also contribute to more reliable screening with less invasive interve ntions in prenatal care.

Just as we saw with the development of COVID self-tests, CRISPR-based tests could potentially be used in ge neral practices or hospitals without specialized laboratories in the future. This aligns with current developments in personalized care, e arly detection, and diagnostics closer to the patient.mented DNA, thi s thesis bridges fundamental molecular insight and translational diag nostic innovation.

More information on the thesis

< /body> DESCRIPTION:

Smart scissors become DNA detectives: CRISPR detects diseases in blood

Kavish Kohabir investigated how we can make bl ood-based genetic testing more accurate, faster, and more accessible. Such tests are important for prenatal screening and cancer diagnosis , among other things, but are hampered by the fact that the relevant DNA in blood is often scarce and fragmented.
His research focused on two related questions. First: how does this circulating DNA arise, and can we exploit patterns in this fragmentation to improve diagnos tics? Second: how can new molecular detection techniques be used to d etect genetic abnormalities with sensitivity and precision? The concr ete impetus for his research is the growing need for cost-effective, reliable, non-invasive genetic testing that can also be used outside of specialized laboratories. Kohabir explains that DNA fragments in b lood are not randomly generated but exhibit recognizable patterns tha t convey information about their origin, for example, whether they or iginate from a tumor or from an unborn child. This so-called "fragmen tomics" can be used to make diagnostic tests more sensitive and speci fic.
He also demonstrates that CRISPR, a technology primarily know n for genetic modification, can also be used as an extremely precise "molecular detector" for genetic abnormalities. By intelligently opti mizing CRISPR systems, we could detect specific mutations faster and more reliably, even without complex laboratory equipment.
Together , these findings demonstrate that combining knowledge of DNA fragment ation with CRISPR technology offers possibilities for genetic diagnos tics based on a simple blood test. Kohabir's findings contribute to t he development of future blood tests that should not only be more acc urate but also simpler and less expensive.
In the future, this cou ld result in a rapid (self-)test that can help doctors detect tumor m utations or monitor the effect of treatment from a blood sample, with out the need for large-scale DNA sequencing. These insights can also contribute to more reliable screening with less invasive intervention s in prenatal care. Just as we saw with the development of COVID self -tests, CRISPR-based tests could potentially be used in general pract ices or hospitals without specialized laboratories in the future. Thi s aligns with current developments in personalized care, early detect ion, and diagnostics closer to the patient.mented DNA, this thesis br idges fundamental molecular insight and translational diagnostic inno vation. More information on the thesis Picking Up the Pieces END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR