Synthetic Biology and the Marketplace

ABSTRACT

In a waterfront office building in San Francisco, Twist Bioscience churns out synthetic DNA for companies from Microsoft to Adidas. “We make the fuel for synthetic biology—the DNA,” says CEO Emily Leproust. “Our customers need a lot of DNA to find the [genetic] sequences they want. We bring more DNA faster, cheaper, and higher quality to improve the pace and the productivity.” She has a small silicon plate that holds 1 million oligonucleotides, grouped in 10,000 tiny wells. In contrast, a traditional plastic plate used in DNA synthesis holds 96 wells. On a tour of the small manufacturing facility next door, Leproust shows off the fully automated system that works around the clock.