ABSTRACT
Gene synthesis is the most fundamental and widely used technique in biological research. The synthesis of DNA encoding regulatory elements, genes, pathways and entire genomes provides powerful ways to both test biological hypotheses and harness biology for our use. The emerging field of synthetic biology is generating insatiable demands for synthetic genes. And the past couple of years witnessed exciting new developments in microchip-based gene synthesis technologies. This review discusses the current methods of chemical DNA synthesis and gene assembly, as well as the latest engineering tools, technologies and trends which could potentially lead to breakthroughs in the development of accurate, low-cost and high-throughput gene synthesis technology. These new technologies are leading the field of synthetic biology to a higher level.