📄 中文摘要
加州理工学院的研究人员开发出一种创新技术，通过在DNA链中嵌入独特的“页码”序列，解决了合成DNA片段组装的挑战。传统方法在组装大量短DNA片段时，容易出现错误和低效，尤其是在合成长基因或基因组时。这项新方法利用合成DNA的“页码”作为分子地址，指导DNA片段的正确排序和连接，显著提高了组装的准确性和效率。研究团队通过将DNA片段与含有互补“页码”的磁珠结合，实现了高通量、模块化的组装过程。该技术不仅能有效合成长达10万个碱基对的DNA，还具有高度可扩展性，有望将合成DNA的成本降低100倍。这项突破性进展对于生物经济具有深远影响，将加速新药研发、生物燃料生产、农业改良以及数据存储等领域的发展。通过简化和优化DNA合成过程，该技术为大规模、低成本地利用合成生物学提供了强大工具，预示着生物技术和相关产业的巨大变革。
📄 English Summary
Invention of DNA "Page Numbers" Opens Up Possibilities for the Bioeconomy
Researchers at Caltech have developed a groundbreaking technology that addresses a critical challenge in synthetic biology: the accurate and efficient assembly of large numbers of short DNA fragments into long, functional genetic sequences. Traditional methods often struggle with errors and inefficiencies when attempting to piece together numerous DNA segments, particularly for synthesizing entire genes or even genomes. The new method introduces unique “page numbers” – specific DNA sequences embedded within each fragment – that act as molecular addresses, guiding their correct order and ligation. This innovative approach significantly enhances the accuracy and efficiency of DNA assembly. The team demonstrated this by attaching DNA fragments to magnetic beads containing complementary “page numbers,” enabling a high-throughput, modular assembly process. This technology is capable of synthesizing DNA sequences up to 100,000 base pairs long with remarkable precision and is highly scalable, potentially reducing the cost of synthetic DNA by a factor of 100. This breakthrough has profound implications for the bioeconomy, promising to accelerate advancements in drug discovery, biofuel production, agricultural improvements, and even data storage. By simplifying and optimizing the DNA synthesis process, this technology provides a powerful tool for leveraging synthetic biology on a large scale and at a lower cost, heralding a significant transformation in biotechnology and related industries.