Trends in Chemistry (@cp-trendschem.bsky.social)

Nucleic acid-guided protein-empowered aquatic contaminants sensing The rapid evolution of nucleic acid-guided proteins (e.g., CRISPR/Cas12a, Argonaute) has positioned them as transformative tools for aquatic contaminant sensing. Their programmability, compatibility with diverse signal transducers, and field-deployable designs enable unprecedented on-site environmental monitoring. This review outlines the fundamental mechanisms of nucleic acid (NA)-guided proteins, critically analyzes implementation strategies (including field-deployable platforms), and systematically highlights their applications in the sensing of aquatic pollutants. We further discuss current challenges and future research directions to further advance multiplexing, sensitivity enhancement, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted engineering, and integrated on-site detection areas. By providing comprehensive insights into this emerging field, we hope that this review will serve as an important resource for researchers developing next-generation NA-guided proteins-based environmental surveillance tools to address ‘One Health’ challenges at aquatic interfaces. http://dlvr.it/TNyyWt