University of Chicago scientists have developed a novel liquid biopsy test that utilizes low-input multiple methylation sequencing (LIME-seq) to detect RNA modifications in plasma cell-free RNA (cfRNA). Their approach revealed that microbiome-derived cfRNA methylation patterns can distinguish colorectal cancer patients from healthy controls with 77% accuracy, improving upon existing non-invasive diagnostics. This work represents the first use of RNA modification signatures as cancer biomarkers and offers a promising avenue for early and sensitive colorectal cancer detection.