Genetically engineered cell lines are made by changing cells' DNA for research in medicine. These cell lines often get mixed up or used without permission, causing big money losses and harming science results, with issues about reproducibility (the ability to repeat experiments with the same outcomes) and intellectual property.
Scientists at UT Dallas have developed a new way to add special genetic marks to these cell lines. These marks act like barcodes to check identity and origin without mistakes. The study is published in Advanced Science. Cell lines help make vaccines and treatments for diseases.
Current ways to check cell lines fail when they come from the same source but have different changes. This leads to mix-ups, dirt from other cells, and stolen ideas. The new method draws from security for computer chips, using physical unclonable functions, or PUFs, which are unique patterns hard to copy. In cells, these become genetic fingerprints that cannot be faked.
Advances in the technology
The earlier version needed two steps, but now it works in one step for easier use. It uses CRISPR with Cas9, an enzyme like scissors that cuts DNA. Another enzyme, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, fixes the cut by adding random DNA bits. These bits make a unique pattern in the cells as an identifier.
Machine learning helps check these patterns for better accuracy. “Biotechnology companies can now ‘barcode’ their cell lines to protect their product,” notes a press release issued by UT Dallas. The work involved UT San Antonio. The company SyntaxisBio Inc. has been created to bring the technology to market. Funding came from UT Dallas, the National Science Foundation, and a grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute.
This method promises to make research safer and more reliable, cutting waste and protecting new ideas in fields like drug making and gene therapy.