Improved point-of-care COVID-19 assays are urgently needed to improve diseasecontrol efforts, but current assays lack the sensitivity of the RT-PCRgold-standard. Herein we describe the development of a portable, ultrasensitivesaliva-based COVID-19 assay with a 15 minute sample-to-answer time that does notrequire RNA isolation or laboratory equipment. This assay uses CRISPR/Cas12aactivity to enhance signal from an amplified viral RNA target, which isstimulated by laser diode integrated into a smartphone-based fluorescencemicroscope readout device. This device robustly quantified viral load...…Improved point-of-care COVID-19 assays are urgently needed to improve diseasecontrol efforts, but current assays lack the sensitivity of the RT-PCRgold-standard. Herein we describe the development of a portable, ultrasensitivesaliva-based COVID-19 assay with a 15 minute sample-to-answer time that does notrequire RNA isolation or laboratory equipment. This assay uses CRISPR/Cas12aactivity to enhance signal from an amplified viral RNA target, which isstimulated by laser diode integrated into a smartphone-based fluorescencemicroscope readout device. This device robustly quantified viral load...WW…