Can DNA be created?
Artificial gene synthesis
Artificial gene synthesis, sometimes known as DNA printing[1] is a method in synthetic biology that is used to create artificial genes in the laboratory. Based on solid-phase DNA synthesis, it differs from molecular cloning and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in that it does not have to begin with preexisting DNA sequences. Therefore, it is possible to make a completely synthetic double-stranded DNA molecule with no apparent limits on either nucleotide sequence or size
DNA nanotechnology
Applications for DNA nanotechnology in nanomedicine also focus on mimicking the structure and function of naturally occurring membrane proteins with designed DNA nanostructures. In 2012, Langecker "et al." introduced a pore-shaped DNA origami structure that can self-insert into lipid membranes via hydrophobic cholesterol modifications and induce ionic currents across the membrane. This first demonstration of a synthetic DNA ion channel was followed by a variety of pore-inducing designs ranging from a single DNA duplex, to small tile-based structures, and large DNA origami transmembrane porins. Similar to naturally occurring protein ion channels, this ensemble of synthetic DNA-made counterparts thereby spans multiple orders of magnitude in conductance. The study of the membrane-inserting single DNA duplex showed that current must also flow on the DNA-lipid interface as no central channel lumen is present in the design that lets ions pass across the lipid bilayer. This indicated that the DNA-induced lipid pore has a toroidal shape, rather than cylindrical, as lipid headgroups reorient to face towards the membrane-inserted part of the DNA. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign then demonstrated that such a DNA-induced toroidal pore can facilitate rapid lipid flip-flop between the lipid bilayer leaflets. Utilizing this effect, they designed a synthetic DNA-built enzyme that flips lipids in biological membranes orders of magnitudes faster than naturally occurring proteins called scramblases. This development highlights the potential of synthetic DNA nanostructures for personalized drugs and therapeutics.