60 Minutes(@60Minutes):Lyme disease affects nearly half a million Americans annually. The CDC says the disease is emerging beyond regions where it has historically been considered endemic. High school students from Lambert High School in suburban Atlanta may have just found a new way to detect and treat it using the revolutionary gene-editing technique known as CRISPR, Bill Whitaker reported in 2025. The students targeted specific DNA strands, snip away the obstructing DNA, and expose the protein, enabling them to detect it with a simple, kit-style test, like a COVID or pregnancy strip.

2026.08.18 17:00

Lyme disease affects nearly half a million Americans annually. The CDC says the disease is emerging beyond regions where it has historically been considered endemic. High school students from Lambert High School in suburban Atlanta may have just found a new way to detect and treat it using the revolutionary gene-editing technique known as CRISPR, Bill Whitaker reported in 2025. The students targeted specific DNA strands, snip away the obstructing DNA, and expose the protein, enabling them to detect it with a simple, kit-style test, like a COVID or pregnancy strip.