Two biotechnology companies announced a collaboration Tuesday that they say will give researchers access to longer, more complex DNA sequences for gene therapy and vaccine development.
Integrated DNA Technologies, a Danaher subsidiary based in Coralville, is partnering with California-based Ansa Biotechnologies to offer DNA constructs up to 50 kilobases in length through IDT’s distribution network.
The partnership addresses what the companies describe as long-standing technical barriers in synthetic biology: producing long, complex DNA sequences reliably.
According to a news release, Ansa uses an enzymatic synthesis platform that the company says can produce longer sequences without harsh chemicals. The technology produces DNA constructs ranging from 100 base pairs to 50 kb, with each sequence verified before delivery.
“Customers face unprecedented complexity in their research, and they deserve solutions that make progress simpler and faster,” said Ajay Gannerkote, IDT’s president in a statement.
The longer constructs are intended for applications including cell and gene therapy discovery, vaccine research and agrigenomics.
Jason T. Gammack, Ansa’s chief executive officer, said “we are dismantling long-standing technical barriers” in DNA synthesis, including length, complexity and reliability issues.
Each DNA sequence is optimized for factors including GC content, homopolymers and repetitive elements—all of which can complicate synthesis and downstream applications.
Ansa manufactures its products in the United States and is in full compliance with the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening. IDT, which has operated for nearly 40 years, will make the products available through its website.
