Comparison of CRISPR/Cas and Argonaute for nucleic acid tests.

Guided, programmable, and target-activated nucleases, exemplified by Cas in the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) system and Argonaute (Ago), are emerging as a new generation of nucleic acid tests (NATs). A specific approach for comparison of these two nucleases side by side in terms of similarities, differences, and complementarities is instrumental for the sensible design of novel NATs.