DNA Synthesis - An Integral Force in the Founding and Future of Precision Medicine

ABSTRACT

Synthetic DNA is intricately woven into the fabric of precision medicine. DNA synthesis is the process of creating short DNA strands of a defined sequence, typically using nucleoside chemical reagents. The commercialization of DNA synthesis in the 1980s put synthetic DNA into the hands of biologists, providing them with the raw material for key technologies such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. These technologies led to the sequencing (and resequencing) of the human genome, ushering in the era of precision medicine - a form of healthcare that uses genetic information to guide patient care towards more effective treatment modalities.