The Biggest Piece Of DNA Ever Made

An anonymous reader writes "Forbes has a story on 'the biggest piece of artificial DNA ever made'. The real story is that companies are racing to produce longer and longer DNA fragments to serve the growing science of synthetic biology." From the article: "On a piece of DNA as long as the one made for Microbia, ten or more genes may be present. By studying more than one gene at once, researchers hope to get a better picture of how they work in concert to produce an organism. Another advantage: These stretches can also be made to contain all the DNA letters that occur between genes. Scientists once thought of that stuff as junk, but many now believe it may regulate how the genes work or provide some other function."

Comments

Genetic sentence

[Rob T Firefly]

These stretches can also be made to contain all the DNA letters that occur between genes.

Such gene patterns have also been found in the quick brown foxes which jump over lazy dogs.

Size Matters?

[DavidV]

A friend once got told size doesn't matter, it's what you do with your DNA. Yeah..it was a friend...nothing to do with me. I'm lucky if I don't trip over my DNA.

Re:Size Matters?

[MrFebtober]

so now i can expect to be getting spammed with "Lengthen your DNA over night!" emails?

Re:27000 "letters" long?

[WillAffleckUW]

I tried making a DNA sequence using Forbes help, but for some reason it has problems with my use of B, D, I, J, Q, and Z in my base-pair sequences ...

Re:"junk" DNA

[timster]

Yes, and 25 years from now we will all rue the day when surgeons thought they could extract the Zombification Prevention Organ with impunity, as if it were a mere "appendix".

Re:27000 "letters" long?

[yourOneManArmy]

Are they creating a string, or DNA?

Strings... of DNA, obviously.

DNA myDNA = new DNA(new String(char(DNA.ADENINE) + char(DNA.CYTOSINE) ...

Biggest Ball of Twine...

[Anonymous Coward]

You know, I bet if we unravelled that sucker,
It'd roll all the way down to Fargo, North Dakota
'Cause it's the biggest DNA in Minnesota
I'm talkin' 'bout the biggest DNA in Minnesota

- with apologies to Weird Al Yankovic, Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota

Re:The longest piece of DNA was made by God.

[studpuppy]

hmmm... the temptation to respond "I knew God, sir. I was friends with God. And let me tell you, sir... you are no God" is pretty darn high at this moment.

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All references to God, a deity or higher power, or any aspect of the so-called theory of evolution are not meant as an endorsement or denial of any particular religious belief, save Scientology. After all, I read L. Ron's other books and I didn't believe any of them either...

Re:"junk" DNA

[csoto]

All the more reason to enact my Protection Against Zombies Act. PAZA will require the removal of teeth and/or dental fixtures prior to the burial of the deceased. After all, zombies aren't much of a threat if the worst they could do is gum you...