Gen9 Collaborates With iGEM To Apply Biofab Gene Synthesis Technology Platform To Synthetic Biology Community Resource

Gen9 provides state-of-the-art synthesized DNA parts to support the world’s largest BioBrick repository

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gen9, Inc., a pioneer in the development of scalable technologies for synthesizing and assembling DNA, and iGEM, the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, today announced a collaboration to provide the synthetic biology community with the highest-quality, freely available DNA parts.

“The high-quality, sequence-verified clonal parts provided by Gen9 will improve the experience and success of the iGEM teams. We are excited to be able to work with Gen9, one of the most promising new synthesis companies in the industry.”

The iGEM Foundation, which is dedicated to education and competition, advancement of synthetic biology, and the development of open community and collaboration, runs the premier student-led competition in synthetic biology. The iGEM Registry of Standard Biological Parts is the world’s largest collection of more than 20,000 DNA parts, known as BioBricks. Parts from this collection serve as an important engineering toolkit for the student teams that participate in the annual iGEM competition, and the Registry is a key resource for teams, academic labs, and non-profit institutions around the world.

Through this collaboration, Gen9 will use its massively parallel BioFab^® platform to manufacture new, synthetic versions of the most well-documented and highly used DNA parts with unprecedented speed and accuracy. These sequence-verified, clonal constructs will enable scientists using these BioBricks to design and engineer new biological systems and test hypotheses faster and more effectively than ever before.

“DNA synthesis and commercial assembly are the future of synthetic biology. We are excited to bring this technology to iGEM through this collaboration with Gen9,” said Randy Rettberg, President and CEO of the iGEM Foundation. “The high-quality, sequence-verified clonal parts provided by Gen9 will improve the experience and success of the iGEM teams. We are excited to be able to work with Gen9, one of the most promising new synthesis companies in the industry.”

Gen9 has developed unique technologies for synthesizing and assembling DNA constructs for use in numerous applications, including antibody, peptide, and enzyme engineering; gene and pathway building; and genome construction. The company’s proprietary BioFab technology is the only exponentially scalable, chip-based gene synthesis manufacturing platform.

“The passion and creativity of the iGEM community have been integral in championing the constructive use of synthetic biology and demonstrating what this field can achieve,” said Kevin Munnelly, President and CEO of Gen9. “It is an honor for us to join forces with iGEM. We are excited to see the amazing projects the students will complete this year and the positive impact their research will have on generations to come.”

For more information, please visit www.gen9bio.com or www.igem.org.

About iGEM

iGEM, the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, is a non-profit organization that inspires future synthetic biologists by hosting a student competition in synthetic biology. The organization also runs the iGEM Registry of Standard Biological Parts. With over 20,000 specified genetic parts, the iGEM Registry holds the world’s largest collection of DNA parts. Join us on September 24-28, 2015, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts for the Giant Jamboree, the culminating event of the iGEM 2015 season.

About Gen9

Gen9 is the premier next-generation gene synthesis company focused on high-quality, high-throughput, automated production of DNA constructs. The Gen9 technology allows for the lowest-cost and highest-quality DNA constructs commercially available. Founded by world leaders in synthetic biology, Gen9 aims to ensure the constructive application of synthetic biology in industries ranging from enzyme and chemical production to pharmaceuticals and biofuels. Gen9 is powering the synthetic biology revolution from our headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., and can be found online at www.gen9bio.com.

Gen9 and BioFab are trademarks or registered trademarks of Gen9, Inc.