Washington: Scientists have developed a novel technology for a CRISPR-based COVID-19 diagnostic test that uses a smartphone camera to provide accurate results in under 30 minutes.According to the research published in the journal Cell, the new diagnostic test can not only generate a positive or negative result, it also measures the viral load -- the concentration of virus -- in a given sample.All CRISPR diagnostics to date have required that the viral RNA be converted to DNA and amplified before it can be detected, adding time and complexity, the researchers said.In contrast, the new approach skips all the conversion and amplification steps, using CRISPR to directly detect the viral RNA, they said."One reason we are excited about.