Hierarchical, high-throughput DNA assembly platform to accelerate synthetic biology
Official title: Hierarchical in vivo assembly for rapid and high-throughput construction of long DNA sequences
Funded at Bacstitch DNA INC. · NIH-11401254 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A company-developed method to rapidly build very long DNA sequences in bacteria, making it easier to design complex genetic systems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Bacstitch DNA INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Altos, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,077,022 |
| NIH project number | 1R44HG014736-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401254 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participants; the research is lab-based in bacteria.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient involvement or benefit in early-stage lab development.
What this research studies
This grant supports improving a bacterial DNA-assembly platform that can create constructs over 80 kb without many lab steps. It aims to shift from sequential to hierarchical assembly so researchers can quickly move from one intermediate build to the next. The project emphasizes high-throughput workflows, reusable building blocks, and barcode-based validation to streamline the design-build-test cycle. The work is focused on enabling faster genetic engineering for applications in synthetic biology and drug discovery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster development of new antibiotics, cancer therapies, and biosynthetic medicines.
How similar studies have gone: Previous assembly methods work well for shorter sequences, but this approach targets longer, more complex constructs with higher throughput.
Where this research is happening
-
Bacstitch DNA INC.
Los Altos, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Levy, Sasha F — Bacstitch DNA INC.
- Study coordinator: Levy, Sasha F
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Creating long and complex DNA using bacteria
This study is exploring a new way to create long and complicated DNA sequences using bacteria, which could help make new treatments and therapies more affordable and easier to produce for patients.
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Creating long DNA fragments efficiently for genetic research
This study is working on a new way to create long pieces of DNA more easily and affordably, which could eventually help improve treatments for genetic conditions by making better genetic therapies.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.