Re:Leave genes to the geneticists (Score 1)

Maybe I haven't read enough comments but I figure as a synthetic biologist I should throw in my two cents. The technology they're using here is NOT a computer program. Well, not entirely. They have a codon optimizing routine for usage and expression in various organisms. Other than that they're making synthetic DNA molecules from scratch, probably using a technique known as sewing PCR. Basically you don't have to go through the hassle of cloning the gene out, you just tell them the sequence you want and they synthesize it.

Interestingly these guys aren't the first to do this... Blue Heron and DNA 2.0 area already up and running. Guessing the novel addition these guys will make is to try and drive the cost down.

*Disclaimer: This article is completely ignoring any technical details so I'm just guessing at the methodologies their using, maybe they've got some nifty new incremental advance