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A semiconductor chip produced 64 DNA sequences in parallel using a water-based enzymatic process. Researchers at Harvard University have developed a semiconductor chip that can synthesize 64 different DNA sequences in parallel using electric currents and a water-based enzymatic process, potentially offering an alternative to conventional DNA manufacturing methods. The chip uses localized electrical control to trigger DNA synthesis at selected sites on its surface. The team says the approach avoids the solvent-heavy phosphoramidite chemistry widely used to produce synthetic DNA today. Synthetic DNA is a key tool in modern biotechnology, supporting applications ranging from diagnostics and genome engineering to...

The director of research at a Massachusetts biotech firm has been accused searching online for deadly poisons and purchasing 800 castor bean seeds so he could extract the toxin ricin from them, federal prosecutors say. Dr. Ishtiaq Ali Saaem, 37, was charged on Tuesday with obstruction of justice after he allegedly lied to FBI agents when they were investigating why he was trying to acquire the deadly toxin. Authorities say Saaem had ordered 100 packets of castor beans, which each contained eight seeds, online.