Built With Biology: GenScript High-Density DNA Synthesis Chip Platform for Commercial DNA Storage

GenScript USA Inc. debuts the highest throughput semiconductor chip for DNA synthesis at the annual Built With Biology conference.

Developed using company’s proprietary miniature semiconductor chip technology, the high-density DNA Synthesis chip allows the synthesis of 8.4 million unique oligos simultaneously, up to 170 bases per oligo. It is first commercial platform for DNA storage.

The firm’s next-generation DNA synthesis platform carries 4 chips, and more than 5.7 billion oligos may be synthesized in one run. Researchers encoded 100Mb of mixed data types in the DNA to test the high-density DNA Synthesis chip’s storage utility and retrieved 100% of the encoded data with no loss.

“DNA could be a powerful medium for data storage given its theoretically limitless storage capacity, stability, and minimal maintenance requirements,” said Cedric Wu, Ph.D., VP, innovation center. “However, our inability to quickly generate large numbers of DNA sequences to store new material has hindered its commercial promise. GenScript’s semiconductor technology addresses DNA digital data storage’s most vexing challenges. It is turning fiction into reality.“

The size of the global DataSphere is predicted to hit 160 trillion gigabytes by 2025, and the capacity to store it is running out. Storing data in large server farms is unsustainable in the long term, as it requires too much energy, land, maintenance, and money.

The high-density DNA Synthesis chip’s active electrode field has a density of over 2.5 million sites per cm². Each electrode site on the chip is independently controlled and can produce a different high-fidelity oligo sequence at every location. The firm’s scientists have built pipelines and algorithms for quicker data encoding and decoding along with advanced error correction.

Wu shared details on the platform and the company’s preliminary DNA data storage results at a fireside chat at the annual Built With Biology conference. The firm is seeking participants for a partnership program to expand the applicability of the storage platform.

In addition to DNA digital storage, the company will be expanding the development of the high-density DNA Synthesis chip platform to enhanced targeted enrichment sequencing, precision mutant antibody/enzyme libraries, spatial genomics, and digital microfluidics.

It is expected to be fully commercially available in 2H22.

About GenScript Biotech Corp.
It. is a global biotechnology group. Based on its leading gene synthesis technology, it has developed 4 major platforms including the global cell therapy platform, the biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) platform, the contract research organization (CRO) platform and the industrial synthesis product platform. It was founded in New Jersey in 2002 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2015. Its business operation spans over 100 countries and regions WWe, with legal entities located in USA, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Netherlands and Ireland. The firm has provided reliable products and services for over 100,000 customers. It has a number of IP rights and technical secrets, including more than 100 patents and over 270 patent applications. As of December 31, 2020, its products and services have been cited by 52,500 peer-reviewed journal articles WW.