Automated Construction of Synthetic DNA Fragments Using the BioXp™ 3200 System

Whereas basic cloning methods have become a part of the standard laboratory skillset, building synthetic constructs de novo remains specialized and is commonly outsourced to service labs.  Outsourced DNA synthesis times can be lengthy and delayed and researchers are completely dependent on the service house.  Although methods for oligo assembly have been described in the literature, successful assembly of synthetic DNAs often requires a holistic understanding of the characteristics of the sequence.  These characteristics can be elucidated using various bioinformatic tools and, when large data sets are available, machine learning algorithms, but only some of these tools are readily available.  Additionally, synthesis design, raw materials, and chemistries can strongly affect success of construct building.  Here, we describe the capability of a synthetic DNA printer, the BioXp™ 3200 System, which allows benchtop DNA assembly in any lab.  Analysis and design are done upstream and custom reagents are shipped, the user loads and starts the machine, and synthetic DNA fragments are produced in an overnight run, either as linear material or cloned into a vector.  This automation reduces synthetic molecule construction to a simple, attainable process and is the result of the convergence of bioinformatics, biology, and engineering.  We continue to develop the platform for construction of molecules with increased complexity and additional downstream applications.