Tutorials

Oct 15, 2010 (Vol. 30, No. 18)

Next-Generation DNA Assembly Tools

Emergence of Synthetic Biology Necessitates New Solutions to Generate Molecules

Conclusion

In anticipation of an imminent paradigm shift, largely due to the emergence of the synthetic biology field, our ultimate goal is to reach a comprehensive solution to generate any DNA molecule up to high-level genetic systems starting from digital sequences stored in a computer. The approaches presented in this article are relevant not only for the area of synthetic biology but they also have remarkable implications for the current cloning standards.

Lansha Peng is scientist III, Billyana Tsvetanova, Ph.D., and Xiquan Liang, Ph.D., are staff scientists, and Federico Katzen, Ph.D. (federico.katzen@lifetech.com), is a senior staff scientist, all at at Life Technologies.

Ke Li, Jian-Ping Yang, Ph.D., Tony Ho, Josh Shirley, Liewei Xu, Ph.D., Jason Potter, Wieslaw Kudlicki, Ph.D., and Todd C. Peterson, Ph.D., all of Life Technologies, contributed to the research outlined in this article.

Reagents referenced in this article (Geneart® Seamless Cloning and Assembly Kit, Geneart High-Order Genetic Assembly System, and Geneart Site-Directed Mutagenesis System) are for research use only (not intended for any animal or human therapeutic or diagnostic use). A free on-line tool that facilitates the cloning strategy and generates the required oligonucleotides can be found at www.invitrogen.com/DesignDNAassembly.