A team of researchers led by Harvard University has succeeded in turning a silicon chip into a miniature DNA writing factory, using electricity and water, providing a cleaner alternative to manufacturing it in traditional laboratories.
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Scientists expect this achievement to support portable DNA writing devices, and even the storage of enormous amounts of its data.
These devices enable the production of DNA on demand outside of specialized laboratories, which could accelerate the development of diagnostic tests for diseases such as cancer, and the conduct of research in remote areas.
Most synthetic DNA is currently produced through phosphoramamate chemistry, a process that can create millions of sequences in parallel, but relies on organic solvents that are typically carried out in large central facilities.
Chemical Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, says, "The problem with the method developed by Marvin Carruthers in the early 1980s is that it is carried out in flammable and dangerous anhydrous organic solvents, so the process requires completely water-free conditions and specialized ventilation."
He adds: "For this reason, DNA is manufactured in central facilities rather than a small laboratory next to an incubator. Until now, enzymatic methods have lagged far behind in the number of DNA sequences they can produce at one time, as previous systems have not created more than 12 sequences at a time."
But according to the study, the Harvard University team revealed that the silicon chip they created is capable of manufacturing 64 different DNA sequences at once, instead of relying on the chemical process that requires large amounts of solvents commonly used in the manufacture of synthetic DNA. The device uses a water-based enzyme approach, and precisely controlled electrical currents stimulate DNA-building reactions at specific locations on the chip.
A cleaner method
The researcher tells Al Jazeera Net: “Our method of manufacturing DNA on a silicon chip has two advantages, which can be summarized as follows: First, it is almost solvent-free, as the chemical process takes place in an aqueous medium. Also, the process does not produce a stream of flammable organic waste, as the enzyme works at a temperature of 41 degrees Celsius in an aqueous buffer solution, and the resulting waste is also aqueous. The second advantage is that the acid is generated on-site instead of being transported to it. In traditional synthesis processes, you have to deliver the acid to the required location.”
According to the study, although storing data using DNA remains a long-term goal because it requires very large-scale DNA synthesis, the researchers believe that hydrolytic enzymatic synthesis may become more attractive as production volumes increase, following the application of the new technology. Reducing solvent use could significantly lower the environmental impact of large-scale DNA synthesis.
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