DNA Synthesis Made Simple: New Technology Uses Only Temperature Changes

[Anchor]

The long-held belief that synthesizing desired DNA requires equipment costing hundreds of millions of won and complex chemical reagents has been overturned. A South Korean research team has developed a groundbreaking technology that allows for the synthesis of custom DNA by controlling only the temperature, a world-first achievement.

TJB reporter Cho Hyung-jun reports.

[Reporter]

[From the trailer of the movie 'Jurassic World': "We hit the jackpot with genetic modification." ("The dinosaurs are definitely a hit.")]

DNA serves as the blueprint containing genetic information for all living organisms, including humans.

While movies imagine bringing dinosaurs back to life through DNA manipulation, in reality, it is widely used across the entire bio-industry, from disease diagnosis to new drug development.

However, synthesizing specific DNA sequences has traditionally required countless cycles of adding and washing away chemical reagents.

The process was time-consuming and costly, requiring large-scale equipment worth hundreds of millions of won and specialized facilities.

A domestic research team, including members from KAIST, has provided a solution to this challenge by creating "hairpin DNA" that remains folded like a hairpin and unfolds only at specific temperatures.

The method involves mixing various hairpin DNA strands, which unfold at different temperatures—such as 25°C (77°F), 37°C (99°F), and 50°C (122°F)—into a single test tube. By gradually increasing the temperature, the DNA blocks are assembled into the desired sequence.

This allows for the synthesis of DNA with the desired sequence without the need for complex chemical reagents or large-scale equipment.

[Choi Young-jae / Professor, KAIST Graduate School of Engineering Biology: The advantage and unique feature of this technology is that you can synthesize DNA in a standard laboratory simply by mixing various types of DNA hairpins in a single tube and changing the temperature.]

Using this technology, the research team also implemented a "DNA temperature black box" that operates without electricity.

It begins to function with just a single drop of water, automatically recording in the DNA whether products have been transported safely within the appropriate temperature range.

[Choi Jang-ho / Ph.D. candidate, KAIST Graduate School of Engineering Biology: If it is exposed to temperatures above a certain level, it can be observed immediately through a color change. We expect this to be applied to the transportation of vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and fresh food.]

This research achievement, which could shift the paradigm of bio-industrial processes, was published in the international academic journal Nature Communications.

(Video coverage: Song Chang-geon, TJB | Footage courtesy of Universal Pictures, KAIST YouTube, and MIT Biology Teaching and Learning Group YouTube)

TJB Cho Hyung-jun
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.