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Writing is only a small step, the real goal is virtualization. Also, with tools like crispr, writing is not as big of a problem, per se. Though really, if para
by dluan 11y ago
Writing is only a small step, the real goal is virtualization. Also, with tools like crispr, writing is not as big of a problem, per se.
Though really, if parallelization is the method maybe a cool benchmark would be sequencing a whole genome and then reprinting it, all while you're out for lunch or coffee.
- lvs 11y agoI don't think you know what a CRISPR is. It doesn't have anything to do with DNA synthesis.
- w1ntermute 11y agoLol and the GP is a cofounder of Experiment (YC W13), "an online community and a crowdfunding platform for scientific research." You really have to wonder how much due diligence YC does on its biotech founders.
- dluan 11y agoI actually ask that question myself all the time :)
- dluan 11y agoSorry, I meant that CRISPR is helping people design much faster. Hopefully it will open the door for more people to design and use it, but I don't think DNA synthesis is the real technical bottleneck for new ideas here. Current cloning techniques seem to be fine tools, but I'm unaware of immediate research questions blocked by printing huge amounts of DNA any faster than current methods.
- SapphireSun 11y agoCall me when there's a Docker for DNA applications. All those cells are expensive overhead.
- hyperbovine 11y agoI doubt we'll still be making calls at that point.
- dluan 11y agoYou can check this blog post I wrote a while ago: https://thewinnower.com/papers/72-heroku-for-science https://thewinnower.com/papers/72-heroku-for-science
- SapphireSun 11y agoHaha, that's really cool. I meant something a little more literal though - being able to run several "applications" within individual cells. In bacteria you can often do that with plasmids, though if you don't modulate their promoters they'll easily exhaust the resources of the cell... kind of like setting bad ulimits on shared hosting. That said, I would like to see some remote heroku like science platform. It seems like anything that's just pure DNA is a bit easier to do that with. Dealing with proteins sounds pretty hard though, there's so much variation in what they do and their physical properties.