A Roadmap to the Assembly of Synthetic DNA from Raw Materials

Abstract

Until recently, the synthesis of DNA has been a tedious, time consuming, expensive and experimentally challenging task. But advances in automated instrumentation and improved chemistry have now made it possible to make any moderate-length sequence of DNA in any quantity. The ease of automated chemical synthesis of DNA has triggered a whole new industry of low-cost DNA suppliers around the globe. The convenience of ordering DNA sequence by mail has opened new avenues in research both in academia and in the healthcare products developed by pharmaceutical companies. At the same time, these advances have made it theoretically possible to synthesize DNA that could be used to do harm. This article aims to describe the first stages of DNA synthesis, from readily available raw materials to medium-sized segments with a desired sequence (oligonucleotides), and examines whether there are points at which such activities could be, for example, monitored or controlled. Some academic and commercial applications of DNA synthesis require the construction of very small quantities of the desired sequence; others involve synthesis at the gram scale or larger. I provide comments on possible intervention points for both types of application. Terms shown in bold are defined in the glossary.