A hypothetical protocol for DIYBIO DNA synthesis

DNA synthesis has traditionally been beyond the home enthusiast or small amateur groups. Most DNA synthesis these days involves the phosphoramidite method. [17] This involves a number of hard to acquire and often toxic chemicals. Some work has been done to reduce the burden of expense of these special chemicals and increase throughput by printing lots of different DNA sequences on one surface or by synthesis in small capillary chambers in microfluidic devices. [16, 11, 12] However for many DIYBIO enthusiasts the obstacle to DNA synthesis is not cost but the difficulty of finding a producer willing to supply these chemicals. Here we present a hypothetical method for synthesising medium to long DNA sequences with out resorting to rare and potentially toxic chemistry. It is our hope that those more expert than our selves will assist in refining and providing feedback on the feasibility of the scheme.