Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), a biotechnology company based in the US, has opened a state-of-the-art synthetic biology manufacturing facility in Coralville, Iowa, close to its main headquarters, to expand its synthetic biology operations.
The facility is used to manufacture a range of products, including eBlocks™, gBlocks™, gBlocks HiFi Gene Fragments, homology-directed repair (donor blocks, Genes, oPools™ Oligo Pools and other bespoke panels.
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It increases IDT’s production capacity and expands its gene synthesis portfolio, while diversifying its product offerings.
The development follows the opening of IDT’s therapeutic oligonucleotide manufacturing facility in Iowa in late 2023. It signifies the company’s entry into therapeutics to support the growing global DNA synthesis market.
Integrated DNA Technologies synthetic biology manufacturing facility details
Integrated DNA Technologies’ synthetic biology manufacturing facility is a two-story building that spans an area of 25,000ft² (2,323m²). It is designed to double IDT’s existing synthetic biology footprint and serve as a hub for future product enhancements, including rapid gene synthesis.
More than half of the facility’s space is allocated to state-of-the-art synthetic biology laboratories. The remaining areas encompass office spaces, conference rooms, amenities, and dedicated support resources and provisions for future expansions.
The laboratory is equipped with advanced cold storage capabilities, a lean manufacturing design and energy-efficient features such as LED lighting and building automation systems.
Synthetic biology product details
IDT’s synthetic biology products include gBlocks™ and gBlocks HiFi Gene Fragments and eBlocks™ Gene Fragments. It also offers gene synthesis solutions and is adept at producing gene fragments ranging between 125 base pair (bp) and 3 kilobase (kb) and custom genes from 25bp to 5kb in length.
The gBlocks™ Gene Fragments and gBlocks HiFi Gene Fragments are double-stranded DNA fragments up to 3000bp long, designed for cost-effective and easy gene construction or modification. The fragments are ideal for applications such as antibody research, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats ()-mediated genome editing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction controls.
eBlocks™ Gene Fragments are double-stranded DNA fragments ranging between and 1500bp, specifically suited for high-throughput screening of multiple constructs, particularly in antibody discovery workflows.
Genes and MiniGenes™ are NGS-sequence verified, circular double-stranded DNA provided in a plasmid. DNA sequences from 25bp to 5kb or longer and are available with IDT’s in-house cloning vectors or a custom vector, without additional cloning fees.
Contractors involved
The general contractor for the project is MA Mortenson, a construction engineering company based in the US.
OPN Architects, an architectural, landscaping and interior design firm based in the US, was responsible for the architectural design.
Raker Rhodes Engineering, a structural engineering company also based in the US, offered structural engineering services.
The mechanical and electrical engineering was managed by Design Engineers, an engineering consultancy based in the US.
Hall & Hall Engineers, a construction company based in the US, oversaw civil engineering for the project.
Marketing commentary on Integrated DNA Technologies
Established in 1987, IDT offers synthesis, modification, purification and quality control capabilities. IDT’s daily production exceeds 90,000 nucleic acids, and its workforce includes more than 2,000 people globally. The company’s products are utilised by researchers in more than 100 countries.
IDT has evolved from an oligo manufacturer to a comprehensive genomics solutions provider, offering a wide array of products for next-generation sequencing, CRISPR genome editing, synthetic biology, digital polymerase chain reaction, and ribonucleic acid interference. The products are pivotal for scientists investigating cancers and inherited diseases.
IDT’s extensive manufacturing infrastructure is designed to serve customers worldwide, with facilities in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Boulder, Colorado; Leuven, Belgium; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; San Diego, California, and Singapore.
In March 2024, IDT launched a custom vector onboarding tool to optimise gene synthesis. The online tool offers a user-friendly solution to generate 100% sequence-verified clonal DNA.
It allows researchers to submit their vector sequences via IDT’s website directly, bypassing traditional in-house cloning steps and swiftly progressing to functional studies with 100% sequence-verified clonal DNA.
