Synthetic Genomics have announced that it will license several patents covering a wide range of their sequencing technology to Gen9 Inc., the Cambridge-based gene synthesis company. The agreement, of which financial details were not disclosed, provides Gen9 with non-exclusive worldwide access to a suite of intellectual property SGI originally acquired from the German company Febit in 2012.Febit pioneered a microarray-based synthesis platform that allows for efficient, low-cost, high-throughput DNA synthesis that SGI has been using internally since the acquisition. This technology will compliment Gen9’s expertise in high-volume chips based on Agilent’s core technology, and their newer BioFab Platform which utilizes novel error correction methods capable of longer, higher-accuracy gene constructs. Nathan Wood, President of SGI-DNA believes the licensed technology will offer great value “to companies like Gen9 to increase efficiencies in their manufacturing platforms” ultimately driving costs down for the customer.Gen9’s core technology is great for making a lot of DNA, however it is more wasteful than SGI’s technology that makes smaller volumes of DNA with less waste. Nathan Wood told SynBioBeta that

traditional processes waste over 80% of reagents when using standard synthesis protocols,

whereas his company promises "picomole amounts of oligos that can be used in a gene synthesis process."Combining these expertise will effectively allow Gen9 to tailor its synthesis methods based on the needs of the client: choosing between a wider set of options to optimize volume, cost, and efficiency.President and CEO of Gen9, Kevin Munnelly relayed his excitement of the licensing agreement, adding,

as we continue to develop novel applications that leverage our BioFab® platform, we are always seeking to identify new technologies and collaborate with innovative partners in the synthetic biology field.

It seems both companies will benefit greatly from this collaboration, and so will their customers.With the rapid advances in gene synthesis technologies, look for an overview of the players in this field from SynBioBeta in the coming months.