Self-Documenting Plasmids

bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Oct 30:2024.10.29.620927. doi: 10.1101/2024.10.29.620927.

Abstract

Biological products produced by plasmids underscore the bioeconomy, thus ensuring the sequences of physical DNA constructs match their expected designs is critical. Yet, the veriWication of plasmids remains a difWicult and overlooked step in the production process. We developed a web application to generate certiWicates that embed information about a plasmid and its designer within the sequence itself. Plasmids can be sequenced de novo and upon sequencing and assembly upload, plasmid sequences can be veriWied with a Winite number of errors corrected. Users can also encode GenBank or plain text Wiles in certiWicate sequences to store additional data or documentation associated with a plasmid within the sequence. CertiWicate insertion does not adversely affect bacterial DNA yields nor functional protein expression in mammalian cells. This technology accelerates and simpliWies plasmid veriWication and has the potential to transform bioproduction, biosurveillance, and the protection of intellectual property in the life sciences.

Publication types

  • Preprint