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 verification of plasmids remains a difficult and overlooked step in the production process. We developed a web application to generate certificates 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 verified with a finite number of errors corrected. Users can also encode GenBank or plain text files in certificate sequences to store additional data or documentation associated with a plasmid within the sequence. Certificate insertion does not adversely affect bacterial DNA yields nor functional protein expression in mammalian cells. This technology accelerates and simplifies plasmid verification and has the potential to transform bioproduction, biosurveillance, and the protection of intellectual property in the life sciences.
Competing Interest Statement
J.P. and S.P. have a financial interest in GenoFAB, Inc., a company that may benefit or be perceived to benefit from this publication.