Synthetic DNA is of increasing demand across many sectors of research and commercial activities. Engineering biology, therapy, data storage and nanotechnology are set for rapid developments if DNA can be provided at scale and low cost. Stimulated by successes in next generation sequencing and gene editing technologies, DNA synthesis is already a burgeoning industry. However, the synthesis of >200 bp sequences remains unaffordable. To overcome these limitations and start writing DNA as effectively as it is read, alternative technologies have been developed including molecular assembly and cloning methods, template-independent enzymatic synthesis, microarray and rolling circle amplification techniques. Here, we review the progress in developing and commercializing these technologies, which are exemplified by innovations from leading companies. We discuss pros and cons of each technology, the need for oversight and regulatory policies for DNA synthesis as a whole and give an overview of DNA synthesis business models.

研究和商业活动的许多领域对合成 DNA 的需求不断增长。如果能够大规模且低成本地提供 DNA，工程生物学、治疗、数据存储和纳米技术将得到快速发展。受下一代测序和基因编辑技术成功的刺激，DNA 合成已经成为一个新兴行业。然而，>200 bp 序列的合成仍然无法负担。为了克服这些限制并开始像读取一样有效地写入 DNA，已经开发了替代技术，包括分子组装和克隆方法、不依赖模板的酶合成、微阵列和滚环扩增技术。在这里，我们回顾了这些技术的开发和商业化进展，领先公司的创新就是例证。我们讨论了每种技术的优缺点、整个 DNA 合成的监督和监管政策的必要性，并概述了 DNA 合成商业模式。