a couple possible application areas

[Jonathan Cline]

There are a few ways this project could be really cool/useful.  As discussed previously this project likely couldn't compete with traditional synthesis technology.

DNA or RNA prototyping.  For short sequences, like for small PCB designs, it's a pain to send it to an external fab to have it professionally done.  It's often easier to build the more error-prone prototype by hand.  Once verified or made in higher volume, then it's sent off to the fabs.   Local, low-volume fabs always have a place in prototyping.  Even now I still buy radio shack copper protoboards for one-offs or when only making 5 boards of something.     Synthesis of short sequences is  a similar idea.

micro RNA.  Already short sequence synthesis.  Perhaps with many combinations.  So rather than fabbing 1 sequence with volume of 1 billion, I want ten thousand strands with volume 100, and error-prone fabrication is maybe OK.  Local cheapie fab is also a good fit for this, compared to precise high volume remote fab with longer turn around time.

DNA serialization/tagging.  To make unique DNA tags as one-offs for inventory tracking or etc, best to use the local mini-DNA printer than remote fab house.   As in last paragraph of this article.  http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/imaging/reading-and-writing-a-book-with-dna    Assumes there is a low-cost reader also available.

## Jonathan Cline
## jcl...@ieee.org
## Mobile: +1-805-617-0223
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[Nathan McCorkle]

On Aug 23, 2012 9:51 PM, "Jonathan Cline" <jnc...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> There are a few ways this project could be really cool/useful.  As discussed previously this project likely couldn't compete with traditional synthesis technology.

I feel oppositely, that enzymatic synthesis would knock the pants off traditional chemical synthesis, leaving it behind in the dust of time.

There's a reason chemical engineers are using more and more protein catalysts (enzymes)