---
title: "3D printed DNA study shows increased substrate flexibilities"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/3d-printed-dna-study-shows-increased-substrate-flexibilities/
date: 2026-02-26
modified: 2026-02-26
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "Researchers at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, have published findings that outline how a 3D printed microcolumn array substrate is capable of combining high-throughput DNA synthesis with the larger..."
categories:
  - "Biofabrication"
  - "Medical AM"
  - "Medical Research"
  - "Research & Education"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Overview-of-microcolumn-array-640x400.jpg
word_count: 509
---

# 3D printed DNA study shows increased substrate flexibilities

Researchers at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, have published findings that outline how a 3D printed microcolumn array substrate is capable of combining [high-throughput DNA synthesis](https://www.voxelmatters.com/columbia-university-engineers-3d-print-self-assembling-dna/) with the larger yields associated with column-based methods.

The approach is significant because it could address longstanding limitations in the manufacturing of oligonucleotide (oligo). The oligo therapeutics market is projected to experience significant growth in the next five years, and is receiving significant attention and investment from biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

However, until now, oligo manufacturing has been constrained by a binary choice between two competing production methods.

![DNA synthesis for functional evaluation of the substrate](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DNA-synthesis-for-functional-evaluation-of-the-substrate-340x233.jpg)DNA synthesis for functional evaluation of the substrate

“Most [synthetic DNA](https://www.voxelmatters.com/programmable-living-materials-produced-using-3d-printing/) is made either on flat surfaces (planar arrays) that produce many sequences in parallel but in tiny amounts, or in column-based systems that produce larger quantities but with lower throughput,” stated Shiyue Fang, Professor of Chemistry at Michigan Tech University. 

“For the planar array platforms, limitations include tiny quantities of each DNA sequence, the need of DNA amplification for most applications, and high error rates. For column-based methods, limitations include limited throughput, the need of larger quantities of reagents and solvents, and high cost.”

This is where the study – [published in Scientific Reports](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41318777/) – has a significant impact. Lead author Haeun Kim and colleagues used 3D printing to produce micrometer-scale columns capable of retaining controlled porosity glass (CPG) beads, a standard solid support in scalable oligo synthesis.

“The present study uses 3D printing to produce DNA synthesis substrates that feature high throughput as well as the capability to hold CPG for DNA synthesis,” commented Fang, who was not involved with the paper but commented on its findings.

“When using CPG, DNA is synthesized in a 3D space instead of a 2D surface, meaning the quantity of DNA synthesized is significantly larger.

“On the 3D printed DNA synthesis substrate, many tiny columns that can hold CPG are arranged like arrays,. As a result, the substrate can have the benefits of high throughput of traditional microarray as well as the benefits of larger DNA quantity and higher accuracy of traditional column-based methods.”

By using the microcolumn array, the research team observed a three-to-six order of magnitude increase in oligo synthesis yield compared to planar arrays. They also successfully synthesized a 15-mer oligonucleotide — within the 15–21 nucleotide range typical of therapeutic antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs).

Impressively, the substrate was produced in under three hours at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods, and the possibilities are many and varied.

“Researchers might use 3D printing technology to print different versions of the substrate to meet their needs,” commented Fang. “If this new version of synthesis is proven to have the advantages such as higher throughput, larger DNA quantity than 2D arrays, longer DNA synthesis, and acceptable error rates, it may have a significant impact on the fields of large DNA library preparation and synthetic biology.

“The DNA that is synthesized on the substrate will benefit projects in areas such as synthetic biology, gene library construction, DNA-encoded library generation, and protein engineering.”