Twist Bioscience in Partnership With Imagene

Twist Bioscience Corporation, a company offering synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, entered into an agreement with Imagene SA, where Imagene will provide Twist with an encapsulation service to store DNA through its DNAshell technology to store digital data encoded in DNA for thousands of years.

“This agreement with Imagene provides the next step in the continuum on DNA digital storage and fits within our strategy to cover all aspects of the process efficiently to enable the development of DNA as a digital storage medium,” commented Emily Leproust, Ph.D., CEO, Twist Bioscience. “We believe the DNAshell technology allows us to encapsulate the DNA-stored digital data securely, protecting it for eternity from any elements including radiation, and eliminating the need for continued copying of digital data due to degradation experienced in other forms of storage today.“

“Twist Bioscience, through its silicon platform, has demonstrated the ability to store large amounts of data on DNA, providing a high density, long-term solution to digital storage, and we are excited to see them grow this product offering,” said Sophie Tuffet, CEO and chairman, the executive board, Imagene. “We are happy to be partnering with Twist and providing them with our disruptive DNAshell technology to safely store DNA with digital data encoded.“

DNAshell technology enables the confinement of desiccated DNA molecules under an anoxic and anhydrous inert atmosphere inside airtight, laser-engraved, stainless steel minicapsules.

In the absence of the alteration factors water, oxygen, and light, natural or synthetic DNA can be stored at room temperature for a nearly limitless period of time. DNAshell is a robust, standalone storage platform enabling the safe and stable storage and distribution of material with zero ongoing energy costs. The high DNA storage capacity of these capsules allows the storage of enormous amounts of data in a small volume. DNAshell technology has been extended to the preservation of RNA, blood, and microorganisms for applications in bio-banking and molecular diagnostics.

Imagene is both a service provider and instrumentation supplier.

Twist Bioscience is a synthetic biology company that has developed a DNA synthesis platform to industrialize the engineering of biology. The core of the platform is a proprietary technology that pioneers a new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by writing DNA on a silicon chip. Twist is leveraging its technology to manufacture a range of synthetic DNA-based products, including synthetic genes, tools for sequencing (NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and development. It is also pursuing longer-term opportunities in digital storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. Twist makes products for use across industries including healthcare, industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research.