-- World’s First Series Stored in DNA
--
Twist Bioscience Corporation (Nasdaq: TWST) today announced that
for the first time, an episode of a Netflix Original Series has
been stored in Twist’s synthetic DNA.
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the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200820005290/en/
DNA is an incredibly dense storage media
(Graphic: Business Wire)
“Many important documents, music and videos have been encoded
and stored in DNA, but this is the first time a leading
entertainment provider has embraced the vast possibilities of DNA
from imagination to storage,” said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO
and cofounder of Twist. “It’s exciting to ground the fictional
series, which expounds beyond the boundaries of what is possible
with DNA today, with the reality of preserving groundbreaking
cultural media in synthetic DNA. The ability to store digital data
in DNA seems futuristic, but the future is now.”
DNA is the oldest coding system known to science, and we are
only now beginning to explore the possibilities available to
advance science through synthetic biology. The new show,
BIOHACKERS, investigates some current opportunities as well as
future possibilities, engaging imagination and creativity.
Released today exclusively on Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) and
starring Luna Wedler and Jessica Schwarz, BIOHACKERS is a gripping
science thriller. The six-part series by showrunner and director
Christian Ditter ("How to be Single", "Love, Rosie", "Girlboss")
deals with biological interventions, genetic modifications and the
exciting possibilities in the field of engineering biology. In
connection with the launch the new Netflix Original Series,
scientists at ETH Zurich encoded the first episode of BIOHACKERS
from ones and zeros into a sequence of the four nucleic bases
adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T) - the
building blocks of DNA. This code is then built, base by base into
strands of synthetic DNA by Twist Bioscience to store the series
for thousands of years.
Dr. Leproust continued, “DNA is an incredible molecule that, by
its very nature, provides ultra high density storage for thousands
of years. In fact, the DNA contained within all cells in a human
body could store all the movies created to date in the 21st century
three billion times over. That, indeed, illustrates the magic of
bringing biology and technology together to create synthetic
(inert) DNA.”
Today, Twist manufactures more than one million small pieces of
DNA on a single silicon chip using semiconductor technology. The
company is now working toward the next generation of silicon chip
that will allow the company to synthesize or write 10 gigabytes of
DNA on each silicon chip, reducing the cost of digital data storage
significantly for broad accessibility and commercialization.
How to Store Digital Data in DNA
To store data in DNA, first, a data file is converted from its
digital sequence of 0’s and 1’s into a DNA sequence of A’s, C’s,
T’s and G’s; for example, 00 = A, 01 = C, 10 = G and 11 = T. Twist
Bioscience then encodes the DNA data file into short segments of
DNA (200 to 300 bases long) that can be synthesized (“written”) and
stored. In addition to storing part of the data file, each short
segment contains an index to indicate its place within the overall
data file. To retrieve the data, the segments are sequenced
(“read”) and then decoded back into the original file. One feature
of the indexing system is it allows part of the file to be
biologically recovered (“random access”) before sequencing, so only
data of interest is sequenced. And, all data is recovered
error-free because error-correcting algorithms are used during the
encode/decode process. Watch a visual illustration of how digital
data is converted into DNA.
About BIOHACKERS
Mia started her medical studies at the renowned University of
Freiburg, but it soon became clear that her interest in
revolutionary biohacking technology had more than just scientific
reasons: she wants to win the trust of star lecturer Professor
Tanja Lorenz, with whom she has a dark secret. In order to clear up
her brother's death, she enters a dangerous world full of illegal
genetic experiments. When she meets the brilliant biology student
Jasper and his mysterious roommate Niklas, she has to make a
decision: Between her feelings and her principles, between revenge
for her family and protecting her new friends.
In addition to the leading roles Luna Wedler and Jessica
Schwarz, Caro Cult, Adrian Julius Tillmann, Thomas Prenn, Sebastian
Doppelbauer and Jing Xiang as well as Benno Fürmann play in the new
genre mix, which promises high tension, high speed and young adult
entertainment.
About Twist Bioscience Corporation
Twist Bioscience is a leading and rapidly growing synthetic
biology and genomics company that has developed a disruptive 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 unique technology to
manufacture a broad range of synthetic DNA-based products,
including synthetic genes, tools for next-generation sequencing
(NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and
development. Twist is also pursuing longer-term opportunities in
digital data storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. Twist
makes products for use across many industries including healthcare,
industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research.
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Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All
statements other than statements of historical facts contained
herein are forward-looking statements reflecting the current
beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that may cause
Twist’s actual results, performance, or achievements to be
materially different from any future results, performance, or
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the
risks and uncertainties of the duration, extent and impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic, including any reductions in demand for our
products (or deferred or canceled orders) globally or in certain
regions; the ability to attract new customers and retain and grow
sales from existing customers; risks and uncertainties of rapidly
changing technologies and extensive competition in synthetic
biology could make the products Twist is developing obsolete or
non-competitive; uncertainties of the retention of a significant
customer; supply chain and other disruptions caused by the COVID-19
pandemic or otherwise; risks of third party claims alleging
infringement of patents and proprietary rights or seeking to
invalidate Twist’s patents or proprietary rights; and the risk that
Twist’s proprietary rights may be insufficient to protect its
technologies. For a further description of the risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those
expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks
relating to Twist’s business in general, see Twist’s risk factors
set forth in Twist’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on August 12, 2020 and
subsequent filings with the SEC. In addition, many of the foregoing
risks and uncertainties are, and could be, exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic and any worsening of global or regional business
and economic environment as a result. We cannot at this time
predict the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and any
resulting business or economic impact, but it could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows. Any forward-looking statements contained
in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Twist
Bioscience specifically disclaims any obligation to update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200820005290/en/
Investor Contact: Argot Partners Maeve Conneighton 212-600-1902
maeve@argotpartners.com
Media Contact: Angela Bitting 925- 202-6211
media@twistbioscience.com
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