DNA Fabrication Keeps Improving, Thanks to Innovations in Biosensors, DNA Nanoswitches, and Microfluidic Chips
Genetic Engineering News – Richard A. Stein, M.D., Ph.D – Our DNA skills are lopsided: We are much better at dissecting DNA structure and organization than we are at synthesizing DNA. But our DNA skills are starting to become more balanced, now that we are benefitting from exponential decreases in the cost of oligonucleotide synthesis, dramatic improvements in technology, and the incorporation of novel paradigms.
These developments have already culminated in the generation of synthetic viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic chromosomes. Going forward, we will continue to refine our skills in DNA synthesis, supporting the use of synthetic DNA in the study of biological processes.
Microfluidic chips that LC Sciences uses for oligonucleotide synthesis. The smaller one can synthesize 4,000 oligonucleotides and the larger one can synthesize up to 30,000 unique oligonucleotides at once.
