DNA Script launches a benchtop DNA printer

DNA Script announced the commercial launch of its Syntax platform with the Syntax system, a benchtop nucleic acid printer.

South San Francisco, Calif.-based DNA Script designed its Syntax system, a fully integrated, automated printer powered by enzymatic DNA synthesis (EDS) technology, to synthesize 96 DNA oligos in parallel, comprised of up to 60 nucleotides in length and delivers them ready for use in molecular biology and genomics workflows without the need for additional handling, according to a news release.

The system includes the benchtop DNA printer, reagent and consumable kits, along with management software. It requires less than 15 minutes of setup and synthesises 20mers in about six hours for same-day results, plus up to 60mers in about 13 hours to be efficiently run overnight.

Once synthesis completes, the Syntax printer purifies, quantifies and normalizes the oligos for seamless input into the next step of the research workflow. The software suite monitors reagent levels and enables the easy re-ordering of the Syntax kit.

DNA Script said that, with the launch, it now plans to accelerate the design-print-test cycle for assay optimization by enabling rapid, on-site synthesis of the DNA oligos for genomic workflows, including endpoint PCR, qPCR, amplicon sequencing and mutagenesis.

“The launch of the Syntax system delivers on our promise to develop and commercialize a benchtop instrument that provides unprecedented access to synthetic DNA and allows users unmatched shorter lead time, control and autonomy over their workflows,” DNA Script CEO and co-founder Thomas Ybert said in the release. “In just a few years, we have made rapid gains to improve enzymatic synthesis so that it performs comparably to, and in some cases better than, chemical synthesis, a 40-year-old technology, for molecular biology and genomics applications, which we see as just the beginning.”