Synthetic DNA weaver Twist Bioscience announced a handful of new collaborations this week, amidst a $140 million raise from an underwritten public offering.
The team-ups are working on delivering a new solution focused on data and genomic analysis, with the help of Sophia Genetics, as well as the development of target enrichment tools and library preparation kits through collaborations with GenapSys and Miroculus.
Overall, the collaborations are geared toward narrowing the focus of whole genome sequencing efforts to specific regions of interest, to provide researchers with deeper information on the roles that individual genes play in health and disease.
“Genomics research is enabling a shift from broad-based ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to a personalized experience,” said Twist co-founder and CEO Emily Leproust.
Twist will work with Sophia Genetics to help bring the latter’s artificial intelligence-powered data platform to its customers to help interpret DNA sequencing results in somatic and germline testing.
“The combined solution will ultimately help experts precisely detect and characterize genomic mutations and use that information to improve outcomes,” said Sophia Genetics co-founder and CEO Jurgi Camblong.
Meanwhile, Twist’s additional partnerships will see the company develop a broad range of target enrichment and library preparation tools compatible with GenapSys’ sequencers and Miroculus’ next-generation sequencing workflow automation platforms. GenapSys plans to integrate Twist’s products beginning in the second quarter of this year.
All this and more will be fueled by the approximate $140 million brought in by Twist, by selling over 5.3 million shares of common stock at $28 apiece. The company has slated the net proceeds for its R&D programs—which include investments in biologic drug discovery and DNA data storage research—as well as its global expansion.