Integrated DNA Technologies screens every Megamer ssDNA Fragment for potentially dangerous pathogen sequences, and to verify that IDT’s customers are legitimate scientists engaged in beneficial research.
IDT is among the five founding members of the International Gene Synthesis Consortium (IGSC), and helped to create the IGSC’s Harmonized Screening Protocol. The Harmonized Screening Protocol describes the gene sequence and customer screening practices that IGSC member companies employ to prevent the misuse of synthetic genes. IDT takes the steps set out in the Harmonized Screening Protocol to screen the sequences of ordered genes and the prospective customers who submit those orders.
For more information about the IGSC and the Harmonized Screening Protocol, please visit their website.
In October 2010, the United States government issued final Screening Framework Guidance for Providers of Synthetic Double-Stranded DNA, describing how commercial providers of synthetic genes should perform gene sequence and customer screening. IDT and the other IGSC member companies supported the adoption of the Screening Framework Guidance, and IDT follows that Guidance in its application of the Harmonized Screening Protocol. For more information, please see 75 FR 62820 (Oct. 13, 2010), or http://federalregister.gov/a/2010-25728.