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→Enzymatic Synthesis Chemistry
===Enzymatic Synthesis Chemistry===
===Enzymatic Synthesis Chemistry===
Enzymatic DNA synthesis would be a great way to synthesize DNA in space, for the following reasons:
DNA synthesis is currently done using the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligonucleotide_synthesis#Synthetic_cycle phosphoramidite method]. However, phosphoramidite chemistry produced large volumes of hazardous waste, requires precise chemical conditions, and is limited to producing short strands of DNA (oligonucleotides) on the order of ~100 basepairs. Most genes of interest are in the ~5,000 basepair range, so current synthesis methods cannot create a gene-length piece of DNA without further processing.
Enzymatic DNA synthesis would be a great alternative way to synthesize DNA in space, for the following reasons:
====Safety, Non-flammability, Non-toxicity====
====Safety, Non-flammability, Non-toxicity====
Most enzymatic reagents could in theory be aqueous solutions, unlike the acetonitrile organic solvents typically used in phosphoramidite chemistry.
Most enzymatic reagents could in theory be aqueous solutions, unlike the acetonitrile organic solvents typically used in phosphoramidite chemistry.