For all of the advancements in genetic research, DNA synthesis hasn't changed much in over four decades. That could make it a serious obstacle to scientists who are otherwise racing to develop a new drug or understand the human body.
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By Jon Fingas, Engadget
For all of the advancements in genetic research,
DNA synthesis hasn't changed much in over four decades. That could
make it a serious obstacle to scientists who are otherwise racing to
develop a new drug or understand the human body. It might finally catch
up to modern technology, however. A group at the Berkeley-based
BioEnergy Institute have devised
a synthesis technique that promises to be faster, more accurate and
affordable. If all goes smoothly, it could significantly accelerate the
pace of medical and biochemical discoveries.
The conventional
technique attaches the chemical bases of DNA one at a time, and doesn't
work for more than 200 chemical bases (a tiny amount in the world of
genetics) without having to risk reactions or join these gene sequences
together in tenuous, occasionally unpredictable ways. It can take weeks
to get something that might not even be what you intended. And when it
can cost roughly $300 per gene, even perfect synthesis could prove
expensive.
The Institute's approach shakes things up by relying on
an enzyme from the immune system, terminal deoxynucleotidyl
transferase, that writes fresh DNA instead of copying it. If you tie a
nucleotide (the unit that forms the polymers in DNA) to each enzyme with
a cleavable linker, you can have the enzyme produce DNA sequences very
quickly at about 200 bases per minute. You'll also know what you should get, so there should be fewer costly errors.
This
is far from ready for prime time. It has a lower yield of useful
material than conventional techniques (98 percent versus 99.5 percent),
and it has yet to produce large-scale genes. It could dramatically
alter genetic research if the scientists make further progress, though.
If you could synthesize even a complex gene within hours, you could
quickly develop medicines, biofuels (the lab team's focus) or agriculture.
It could lower the costs, too, by reducing mistakes and speeding up the
time to market. And of course, it could improve the overall rate of
discovery, helping scientists spend less time waiting for synthesis and
more time taking advantage of what they've created.
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