New England Biolabs (NEB), in collaboration with Touchlight, has released the EnClose Cell-free dbDNA Synthesis Kit. This kit enables benchtop enzymatic synthesis of Touchlight’s proprietary doggybone DNA (dbDNA), a linear, covalently closed, double-stranded DNA, providing researchers with a cell-free alternative to traditional plasmid DNA for the development of various nucleic acid therapeutics.
Dr Ashley Luck, associate director of applications and development, NEB, said, “Traditional plasmid DNA manufacturing is a significant bottleneck in advanced therapies development, often requiring large-scale fermentation, cell banking, and long lead times that can slow the path to the clinic. We’re thrilled to offer a cell-free alternative that allows researchers to bypass these complex bacterial processes. This kit enables the rapid screening and production of high-purity DNA templates right at the benchtop, cutting months off the development timeline for mRNA vaccines and gene therapies.”
NEB expanded upon Touchlight’s dbDNA technology by developing the EnClose Cell-free dbDNA Synthesis Kit, which provides an optimised, simplified enzymatic workflow, enabling scientists to generate high yields of closed-ended DNA in one day. Differing from plasmid DNA, dbDNA is free of bacterial sequences and antibiotic resistance genes, reducing safety concerns and simplifying regulatory compliance.
The technology is linearly scalable from research to production, making it a suitable template for viral vector manufacturing, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentiviral (LV) vectors, as well as non-viral gene therapy and various nucleic acid therapeutics, including mRNA therapeutics and gene editing. The enzymatic process is also proficient at synthesising difficult sequences, such as long poly (A) tails and viral inverted terminal repeats.
Dr Tommy Duncan, chief business officer, Touchlight, said, “Collaborating with NEB allows us to significantly broaden the accessibility of our technology, directly into the hands of researchers for the first time. By combining our proprietary dbDNA technology with NEB’s expertise in enzymology, we’ve optimised a workflow that allows scientists to screen constructs and prototype high-throughput designs rapidly, before moving on to larger-scale manufacturing.”
