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Frequently Asked Questions

2023 Screening Framework Guidance for Providers and Users of Synthetic Nucleic Acids

Synthetic nucleic acids are chemically or enzymatically manufactured polymers of nucleotides, which encode genetic information. These are distinct from naturally occurring nucleic acids, which can be isolated directly from an organism. The ability to make nucleic acids, based on a genetic sequence, allows a researcher to request custom nucleic acid sequences from a provider who will synthesize the order and ship it to the researcher, or to directly synthesize these genetic elements in their own laboratory using benchtop nucleic acid synthesis equipment.