As the ability to harness DNA extends well beyond medicine to agriculture and industry, the demand for synthetic DNA to drive the new bioeconomy is growing rapidly. The problem is that the traditional method of chemical synthesis of DNA hasn’t changed much since it was first developed about 30 years ago and presents limits on the length of oligonucleotides that can be created. Molecular Assemblies is developing an enzymatic DNA synthesis technology designed to power the next generation of DNA-based products. It says it approach can be used to write longer oligonucleotides that expand potential applications, provides higher quality output, and offers greater efficiency without toxic chemical byproducts. We spoke to Molecular Assemblies’ President and CEO Mike Kamdar and Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Bill Efcavitch, about the company’s enzymatic synthesis of DNA, how it improves on current methods, and it plans for commercialization.
