Digital-to-biological converter for on-demand production of biologics

Nat Biotechnol. 2017 Jul;35(7):672-675. doi: 10.1038/nbt.3859. Epub 2017 May 29.

Abstract

Manufacturing processes for biological molecules in the research laboratory have failed to keep pace with the rapid advances in automization and parellelization. We report the development of a digital-to-biological converter for fully automated, versatile and demand-based production of functional biologics starting from DNA sequence information. Specifically, DNA templates, RNA molecules, proteins and viral particles were produced in an automated fashion from digitally transmitted DNA sequences without human intervention.

Publication types

  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Biological Products / chemistry*
  • Biopolymers / chemistry*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Genetic Engineering / instrumentation*
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing / instrumentation*
  • Robotics / instrumentation*
  • Synthetic Biology / instrumentation*

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Biopolymers