A team of scientists led by the University has demonstrated a groundbreaking new method of gene synthesis – a vital research tool with real-world applications in everything from growing transplantable organs to developing treatments for cancer.
Current methods for synthesizing genes – creating genes artificially in the laboratory – use enzymes to connect short strands of DNA to form the larger strands that make up genes. However, among other shortcomings, they do not allow the incorporation of epigenetic information into specific sites on the DNA. This is the secondary layer of genetic information that controls the expression (the ‘switching on’ or ‘off’) of genes in cells, and plays a key role in many biological processes, including cancer.
In a study published in the journal Nature Chemistry, scientists led by Professor Ali Tavassoli at the University demonstrate a purely chemical approach to gene assembly which overcomes the limitations of existing methods.
Professor Tavassoli described it as ‘a significant breakthrough’. He commented:
“Genome synthesis will play an increasingly important role in scientific research. We believe our purely chemical approach has the potential to significantly accelerate efforts in this vitally important area, and ultimately lead to a better understanding of biological systems.”
Read the full story on the University news site.
