13/05/13: IDT Make Upgrades to Their Gene Synthesis Capabilities
May 13, 2013 by Peter · Leave a Comment
From May 13th, 2013, the following changes regarding Genes and MiniGene Synthetic Genes will take effect:
| Product | Previous Length | New Length | Previous Guaranteed Yield | New Guaranteed Yield |
| MiniGene™ Synthetic Genes | 25–400 bp | 25–500 bp |
2 µg |
4 µg |
| Genes | 401+ bp | 501+ bp |
2 µg |
4 µg |
Please check IDT’s website for updated pricing (as far as I can see it has not changed).
As always, all Genes and MiniGene constructs are sequence verified on both strands prior to shipping. Sequence information, including chromatograms, a plasmid map, and a FASTA file, is available.
If you have any questions about these changes or IDT’s gene synthesis service in general, please contact IDT at genes@idtdna.com.
11/03/13: Awesome News for Synthetic Biologists from IDT
March 11, 2013 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Below is the text from a recent joint press release from IDT and SGI-DNA.
The awesome bit is that soon, synthetic DNA constructs up to 2 Mbp will be available from IDT. I might be wrong, but that is a huge leap in the potential size of synthetic genes.
CORALVILLE, IA AND LA JOLLA, CA (February 27, 2013). Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. (IDT) and SGI-DNA announce an expanded partnership to develop, manufacture, and market a variety of synthetic DNA products.
IDT is the world’s leader in custom oligonucleotide synthesis and SGI-DNA is a newly formed subsidiary of Synthetic Genomics, Inc. (SGI), which focuses on genomic-driven solutions to a variety of global needs.
In February of 2012, IDT and SGI began to co-manufacture, commercialize, and market small synthetic gene products of up to 5 kb. IDT also launched its gBlocks™ Gene Fragments product line, for use in combination with SGI’s proprietary DNA technologies, including Gibson Assembly™, to assemble small gene constructs efficiently. gBlocks™ Gene Fragments have already revolutionized synthetic biology applications by substantially lowering DNA synthesis costs and making DNA assembly more efficient and reliable.
IDT and SGI-DNA are now extending this collaboration to manufacture and co-brand cloned synthetic DNA constructs up to 2 Mbp, and to make them available through IDT. This product offering has not been available until today and will make possible new applications including metabolic and whole genome engineering through de novo DNA synthesis. SGI-DNA will manufacture and become IDT’s exclusive supplier of the larger constructs. The two companies will also work together on the launch of an expanded IDT gBlocks Gene Fragments offering, expected later in 2013.
Dr. Joseph Walder, IDT’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, noted, “By joining forces, IDT and SGI-DNA will enable the research community by providing a complete solution, from short genes to very large synthetic constructs, at prices and with delivery times simply unavailable in the market today.” “Enabling new and better research has always been the essence of IDT’s mission, so it’s the perfect fit.”
“Over the last year, we have grown our in-house gene synthesis business, and effectively worked together with IDT to co-manufacture and co-market smaller synthetic gene products. This is the natural next step in that collaboration,” agreed J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., SGI’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer. He continued, “We are excited about what we’ll accomplish through the combination of SGI-DNA’s unique expertise with large, complex gene products and IDT’s experience in manufacturing and delivering small DNA products to researchers around the globe.”
SGI is also announcing the official launch of SGI-DNA, which will be responsible for all aspects of the development, manufacture, and commercialization of SGI’s synthetic DNA business.
IDT and SGI-DNA did not disclose the financial details of their arrangement.
For more information about how to order IDT/SGI-DNA products, please visit https://www.idtdna.com/pages/products/genes/custom-gene-synthesis.
Follow us on twitter @idtdna for real-time updates and insights.
Editors’ notes
About IDT Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. (IDT) is the largest supplier of custom synthetic nucleic acids in the world, serving the areas of academic research, biotechnology, clinical diagnostics, and pharmaceutical development. IDT’s primary business is the manufacture of custom primers, probes, and genes for research and diagnostic applications. Today, IDT synthesizes and ships an average of 36,000 custom oligos per day to more than 86,000 customers worldwide. IDT’s manufacturing locations include facilities in Coralville, Iowa; San Diego, Calif.; Leuven, Belgium; and Singapore. For more information, visit www.idtdna.com.
About SGI-DNA
SGI-DNA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Synthetic Genomics, Inc. (SGI) founded in 2013 and headquartered in La Jolla, CA, provides differentiated synthetic DNA solutions to leading organizations with demands for large and/or complex DNA constructs. Building on the scientific breakthroughs from leading scientists J. Craig Venter, Hamilton Smith, Clyde Hutchison, Dan Gibson and their teams, SGI-DNA utilizes unique and proprietary DNA synthesis technologies from SGI to produce synthetic genes, genetic pathways, and whole genomes quickly and costeffectively. SGI-DNA is responsible for all commercial aspects of SGI’s synthetic DNA business and focuses on strategic business relationships with both academic and commercial researchers.
For more information, visit www.sgidna.com.
About Synthetic Genomics Inc.
SGI, a privately held company founded in 2005, is dedicated to developing and commercializing genomic-driven solutions to address a wide range of global challenges. The company is focused on several key research and business programs including: developing new synthetic DNA products and technologies through SGI-DNA, algae biofuels, new and improved food and nutritional products, and clean water technology. SGI is also involved in synthetically derived vaccine development through Synthetic Genomic Vaccines Inc. (SGVI), a business unit cofounded with the J. Craig Venter Institute; and in developing sustainable crops such as castor and sweet sorghum and agricultural products through AgraCast, a company co-founded with Plenus S.A. de C.V. For more information go to: www.syntheticgenomics.com
Media Contact for SGI and SGI-DNA
Heather Kowalski
858-361-0466
hkowalski@syntheticgenomics.com
Media Contact for IDT
Stephen Gunstream
319-626-9696
sgunstream@idtdna.com
26/06/12: Video – Rapid and Reliable Gene Construction with gBlocks Gene Fragments and the Gibson Assembly Method
June 26, 2012 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Cool. I really like this product for Synthetic Biology - gBlocks - and this is a very nice explanation of how to use it.
Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-Vh-LbJAJpk
15/06/12: Going to the ESHG 2012? Two Symposiums of Interest
June 15, 2012 by Peter · Leave a Comment
The ESHG is one of the highlights of the conference season in Europe and is usually an incredibly popular meeting for researchers from Denmark and Sweden. So it should be again this year, with the conference being held in the German city of Nuremburg.
Two of the companies that are represented by You Do Bio will be holding their own satellite meetings at ESHG and both look good value:
1. Integrated DNA Technologies are holding the following satellite meeting: 
Saturday, June 23, 11.45 – 13.15 hrs, Room Budapest
Oligonucleotides for Clinical and Research Applications – Why Quality Matters
2. Agilent Technologies will be holding the following event:
Monday, June 25, 11.40 – 13.10 hrs, Room Istanbul
Revolutionizing Human Genetics Research with new target enrichment system and high-resolution Oligo FISH technologies
https://twitter.com/YouDoBio/status/213633335229034496
05/05/12: Gibson Assembly Mastermix – where to get it
May 5, 2012 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Gibson Isothermal Assembly is a great technique for combining long double-stranded DNA fragments together. You can view a DIY protocol here, which works fine.
However, you should also know that you can buy all the components in a ready-to-use mastermix format from New England Biolabs (NEB). Details here.
05/05/12: Some Useful Links Relevant to gBlocks
May 5, 2012 by Peter · Leave a Comment
IDT’s gBlocks are a great new product for anyone using traditional approaches to cloning or synthetic biology. Like any new technology, they take some getting used to. So, if you are a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, or a “late adapter” read the following and try to get inspired.
Easy Gene Assembly: gBlocks™ Gene Fragments (this article explains what gBlocks are)
Isothermal Assembly (how gBlocks can be assembled into full genes)
gBlocks User Guide (opens PDF file – all you need to know).
25/01/12: IDT Launch gBlocks, a Revolutionary New Approach to Gene Synthesis & Alternative to Cloning
January 25, 2012 by Peter · 1 Comment
I am sooo excited about this new product from IDT. By making genes more affordable, while significantly increasing the speed of delivery, IDT are making synthetic genes more accessible to labs than they have been before.
In short, gBlocks™ Gene Fragments are double-stranded, sequence-verified DNA blocks up to 500 bp in length that can be shipped in 3–4 working days. You define the sequence. Prices are great (EUR 89/DKK 662/ SEK 787), which makes them a realistic alternative to cloning. Users can simply order individual gBlocks, assemble them and drop them straight into their favourite vector.
Anyway, enough from me. If you want to learn some more, please visit the IDT website and try them out!
Update, 27th January:
There are several resources on isothermal assembly, which is one of the recommended methods by which gBlocks can be used to create larger gene fragments. Here is the protocol on the Megason Lab wiki page. The page also contains a link to the original Nature Methods paper, describing the technique.
I wonder if it is just a matter of time before a commercial kit comes out for this…
24/11/10: Agilent Introduces GeneSpring GX 11.5
November 24, 2010 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Agilent has released GeneSpring GX 11.5, an expansion of its popular bioinformatics software into visualizing and analyzing multiple types of biological data. GeneSpring GX 11.5 now interprets exon microarray, proteomics and metabolomics experiments together for the first time, using a familiar interface.
These new capabilities join existing GeneSpring GX applications for gene expression analysis, genomic copy analysis, genome-wide association analysis and transcriptomics data analysis.
Read a full press release describing the new version of GeneSpring here.
16/08/10: Article – Genomics At Agilent: Driving Value in DNA Sequencing
August 16, 2010 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Agilent CTO, Darlene Solomon, has co-written an article about innovation at Agilent Labs and how that plays a role in getting new products commercialized for researchers. Darlene collaborated with Emily Leproust and others, to write this great article related to Agilent’s strength in oligo synthesis, NGS workflow and synthetic biology.
You can access the article at the Agilent website here.
12/05/10: Custom Gene Synthesis
May 12, 2010 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Download the latest flyer from IDT (Integrated DNA Technologies) describing their gene synthesis services, available here.
There are special offers available to researchers who want to try out IDT’s gene synthesis services. Please contact me for more information.
