Learn how synthetic biology can improve our health, food and materials.
Platform Reduces Reagent Use by 99.8%
We have miniaturized traditional chemical DNA synthesis reactions to write over one million short pieces of DNA on each silicon chip which is approximately the size of a large mobile phone. As a result of these efforts our core platform technology reduces waste and consumption of chemical reagents by 99.8%, making our process significantly more sustainable and environmentally friendly than 96-well plate methods.
This year, we quantified how our proprietary miniaturization of the oligo synthesis process impacts our comparative carbon footprint of creating a single gene using our silicon-chip based DNA manufacturing process, versus legacy 96-well plate-based DNA manufacturing1. We confirmed that plate-based approaches can emit up to 23,000 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per gene, while Twist processes emit a minuscule 36 grams of CO2e (0.036 kilograms) per gene.
To exemplify this difference, 96-well plate-based DNA manufacturing of one gene produces the equivalent to greenhouse gas emitted from driving a gasoline-powered car for 59 miles (95 kilometers) compared to 0.09 miles (0.15 kilometers)2.
Twist Joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)
In 2022, we joined the United Nations Global Compact, highlighting our pledge to support the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, labor, environment, and anti- corruption. We have committed to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health and Well-being
- Gender Equality
- Responsible Consumption and Production
Recycling Programs at Twist
Since 2019, Twist has been recycling nitrile gloves in partnership with The RightCycle™ Program from Kimberly-Clark Professional. As of February 2023, Twist has diverted more than 21,760 pounds of plastic waste from landfills, and plans to expand the program’s scope to include other forms of personal protective equipment. In addition, we are expanding our recycling programs to our Wilsonville, OR and Quincy, MA locations.
Platform Reduces Reagent Use by 99.8%
We have miniaturized traditional chemical DNA synthesis reactions to write over one million short pieces of DNA on each silicon chip which is approximately the size of a large mobile phone. As a result of these efforts our core platform technology reduces waste and consumption of chemical reagents by 99.8%, making our process significantly more sustainable and environmentally friendly than 96-well plate methods.
This year, we quantified how our proprietary miniaturization of the oligo synthesis process impacts our comparative carbon footprint of creating a single gene using our silicon-chip based DNA manufacturing process, versus legacy 96-well plate-based DNA manufacturing1. We confirmed that plate-based approaches can emit up to 23,000 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per gene, while Twist processes emit a minuscule 36 grams of CO2e (0.036 kilograms) per gene.
To exemplify this difference, 96-well plate-based DNA manufacturing of one gene produces the equivalent to greenhouse gas emitted from driving a gasoline-powered car for 59 miles (95 kilometers) compared to 0.09 miles (0.15 kilometers)2.
Twist Joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)
In 2022, we joined the United Nations Global Compact, highlighting our pledge to support the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, labor, environment, and anti- corruption. We have committed to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health and Well-being
- Gender Equality
- Responsible Consumption and Production
Recycling Programs at Twist
Since 2019, Twist has been recycling nitrile gloves in partnership with The RightCycle™ Program from Kimberly-Clark Professional. As of February 2023, Twist has diverted more than 21,760 pounds of plastic waste from landfills, and plans to expand the program’s scope to include other forms of personal protective equipment. In addition, we are expanding our recycling programs to our Wilsonville, OR and Quincy, MA locations.
Emily Leproust speaks on TED@BCG - Synthetic Biology Creates a New Kind of Environmentalism
In 2022, Twist earned Great Place to Work® Certification™ in the U.S. for the second consecutive year, and for the first time in China, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The results of the Great Place to Work survey showed that 85% of employees say that Twist is a great place to work, compared to 57% in a typical US-based company. In addition, 90% of Twist employees are proud to tell others that they work at Twist.
Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation. Great Place to Work Certification recognizes employers who create an outstanding employee experience and is based on employee feedback and independent analysis.
Learn more about careers at Twist
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Our employees come from more than 25 countries and bring many different thoughts, identities and lived experiences to Twist. We believe our company is stronger because of the variety of experiences and backgrounds our employees bring to their work every day. We believe diverse teams drive better business decisions by challenging each other, sharing a broader range of possibilities from their experiences and resulting in more innovative products and services. We believe that by fostering an inclusive work environment—one which appreciates individual differences and the adoption of equitable practices to advance underrepresented groups—contributes to increasing employee job satisfaction and commitment to their company, as well as reduced absenteeism.
Learn more about diversity at Twist
Our commitment to diversity extends through our recruitment, retention, learning and engagement and community partnerships. As part of our diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging strategy, we made an active decision to pursue opportunities for learning and engagement that bring people from different backgrounds together into conversation. We’ve initiated monthly Culture Conversations where we explore identities and systems of power using an intersectional lens each month. Past topics include disability, LGBTQIA+, ageism, Latinx identity, and more. Our objective is to appreciate each other as individuals with unique lived experiences, rather than define one another by a single trait such as race, sexual orientation, or geographical location. To assess our efforts toward building a diverse workforce, we have included questions in our engagement survey to measure employee perception of inclusive culture.
In 2022, Twist earned Great Place to Work® Certification™ in the U.S. for the second consecutive year, and for the first time in China, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The results of the Great Place to Work survey showed that 85% of employees say that Twist is a great place to work, compared to 57% in a typical US-based company. In addition, 90% of Twist employees are proud to tell others that they work at Twist.
Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation. Great Place to Work Certification recognizes employers who create an outstanding employee experience and is based on employee feedback and independent analysis.
Learn more about careers at Twist
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
Our employees come from more than 25 countries and bring many different thoughts, identities and lived experiences to Twist. We believe our company is stronger because of the variety of experiences and backgrounds our employees bring to their work every day. We believe diverse teams drive better business decisions by challenging each other, sharing a broader range of possibilities from their experiences and resulting in more innovative products and services. We believe that by fostering an inclusive work environment—one which appreciates individual differences and the adoption of equitable practices to advance underrepresented groups—contributes to increasing employee job satisfaction and commitment to their company, as well as reduced absenteeism.
Learn more about diversity at Twist
Our commitment to diversity extends through our recruitment, retention, learning and engagement and community partnerships. As part of our diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging strategy, we made an active decision to pursue opportunities for learning and engagement that bring people from different backgrounds together into conversation. We’ve initiated monthly Culture Conversations where we explore identities and systems of power using an intersectional lens each month. Past topics include disability, LGBTQIA+, ageism, Latinx identity, and more. Our objective is to appreciate each other as individuals with unique lived experiences, rather than define one another by a single trait such as race, sexual orientation, or geographical location. To assess our efforts toward building a diverse workforce, we have included questions in our engagement survey to measure employee perception of inclusive culture.
Guiding Principles and Business Ethics
Our guiding principles of grit, impact, service, and trust serve as our cultural pillars. Our guiding principles set the tone for how we work together, provide a framework for giving feedback and increase the power of our brand.
Service is at the core of our business and our interactions with one another. We relentlessly focus on exceeding internal and external customer needs.
1 Calculated Twist internal data using Dr. Oligo benchmark January 2021
2 Calculated using the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator
Guiding Principles and Business Ethics
Our guiding principles of grit, impact, service, and trust serve as our cultural pillars. Our guiding principles set the tone for how we work together, provide a framework for giving feedback and increase the power of our brand.
Service is at the core of our business and our interactions with one another. We relentlessly focus on exceeding internal and external customer needs.
1 Calculated Twist internal data using Dr. Oligo benchmark January 2021
2 Calculated using the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator
Our ESG Program
If you have ESG related questions, or would like to learn more about Twist Bioscience’s ESG program
