Twist Bioscience

The turnaround time for orders is still relatively long compared to other lab-based methods, especially for smaller amounts of DNA. Therefore, in certain instances it is more reasonable for researchers and companies to utilize traditional cloning methods depending on the genes needed for experiments. Slow turnaround time for smaller orders is the primary reason Ginkgo Bioworks acquired Gen9, which brought that function in-house.

Twist Bioscience was founded in 2013, andby madeEmily theirLeproust ownto commercialize a high-throughput semiconductor-based DNA synthesis technology. Their technology allows them to overcome many of the barriersThe facedcompany bysupplies otherDNA companiesfor tryingresearch toand manufacturecommercial DNAapplications inof highgenetic volumes.engineering, Twistand claimsis todeveloping haveadditional successfullymarkets industrializedfor aapplications costincluding effective,digital highdata fidelity,storage and high through-put DNA synthesis platform capable of synthesizing DNAorigami-based inbiomaterials highand volumesnanostructures.

ByTwist miniaturizingBioscience can achieve 1,000x improvements in DNA production density by scaling down from the DNA synthesistraditional process96-well ontoplate microfabricatedto silicontiny wellsmicro-wells and channels, Twist Bioscience hason beena ablesilicon tochip improveof the throughput of DNA synthesis by a factor ofsame 1000area. Throughput is greatly increased because semiconductor basedsemiconductor-based technology allows the chemical reactions necessary for DNA synthesis to be scaled down by a factor of 1,000,000. Twist Bioscience is able to produce 9,600 genes on a single silicon chip using their technology; compared to 1 gene being produced on the same amount of space using traditional DNA synthesis technologies.

DNA is being developed as a storage medium for digital data. Twist Bioscience is working with Microsoft and the University of Washington to improve data storage using DNA, and have published research demonstrating high-fidelity storage and random-access retrieval of over 200 MB of data, including an OK-GoOK Go music video. As the technology matures, DNA could offer a high-density, low-energy, long-term, and secure digital data storage solution. Twist Bioscience explains their work on DNA data storage in their white paper.

The turnaround time for orders is still relatively long compared to other lab-based methods, especially for smaller amounts of DNA. Therefore, it is more reasonable for researchers and companies to utilize traditional cloning methods depending on the genes needed for experiments. Slow turnaround time for smaller orders is the primary reason Ginkgo Bioworks acquired Gen9.

In 2016 Agilent filed a lawsuit against Twist Bioscience alleging Emily Leproust, a former Agilent employee, stole trade secrets developed by the company to start the DNA synthesis startup.