On Aug. 25, 2020, Telesis Bio, creators of the world’s first fully automated system for high-throughput writing of DNA, announced critical advancements in its development of the Digital-to-Biological Converter™ (DBC) platform. The platform will enable the direct printing and packaging of vaccines, supporting immediate distribution through a global network of vaccine printers. At the core of the DBC is the BioXp® 3250 system, the world’s only fully automated synthetic biology workstation, which already performs most of the steps required to print vaccines and is paving the way for a global solution to prevent future pandemics.

The innovative DBC platform will take digitized DNA code sent over the internet and automatically convert it into the active ingredients in vaccines — including DNA, RNA, and proteins. Then, by activating a global network of DBC platforms, it will be possible to dramatically accelerate the development and delivery of “on-demand” vaccines anywhere in the world. The entire process will take less than 24 hours, compared to current methods that require six to nine months.

“With the DBC, we will have the ability to beam new vaccines to where they’re needed most, saving hundreds of thousands of lives from emerging infectious diseases,” stated Todd R. Nelson PhD, Founder and CEO of Telesis Bio. “We have already made significant strides toward making this a reality. Based on recent advancements that focused on fully integrating vaccine development steps into a simple to use, walkaway instrument, we now believe we will have a commercially available platform within 18 to 24 months.”