A SIGNIFICANT reduction in the cost of synthetic gene synthesis is promised by Integrated DNA Technologies with its gBlocks gene fragments, now available. These double-stranded, sequence-verified genomic blocks of up to 500 base pairs are priced at just US$99 – less than 20c per base pair. The UK price quoted on the IDT website is £69, or 14p per bp.
IDT says that traditional gene synthesis currently costs more than 30c per base pair, often with additional complexity fees and long delivery times, making gBlocks something of a bargain.
gBlocks are said to be suitable for applications including custom protein synthesis, microRNA analysis, and in vitro transcription, and are provided as linear double-stranded DNA, rather than cloned into a vector, for quick deployment. Depending on the application, they are available either with or without 5′ phosphate modification.
The product is delivered within three to four working days and is delivered in 200ng quantities of dried DNA. IDT says that it is possible to use gBlocks to create a completely custom 2kb construct in less than an hour.