Will there be a consolidation of synthetic biology platforms going forward, or are partnerships the way of the future?

 Twist Bioscience and Ginkgo Bioworks have been at the forefront of 

developing and building SynBio platforms that can be used by many 

companies to tackle Bio projects of every kind in future.

It begs the question, is Ginkgo a takeover target for Twist or another 

company working to be the market leader in synbio technology? 

Twist Bioscience and Ginkgo Bioworks are both prominent players in the synthetic biology ecosystem, but they have distinct approaches:

1. Twist Bioscience:

   • Platform: Twist uses a silicon-based platform to synthesize high-quality, custom DNA.
   • Focus: They specialize in providing synthetic DNA for various applications.
   • Collaboration: Twist collaborates with organizations across industries, including vaccine manufacturing, food, flavor, fragrance, and even cannabigerol (CBG) development1.
   • Previous Agreements: They’ve had supply agreements with Ginkgo since 2017, delivering substantial quantities of DNA2.

2. Ginkgo Bioworks:

   • Platform: Ginkgo’s horizontal platform enables cell programming across diverse markets (food, agriculture, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals).
   • Use of DNA: Ginkgo uses synthetic DNA from Twist to rapidly prototype organism designs for their customers in fragrance, flavor, and food industries.
   • Growth: The recent four-year agreement expands Ginkgo’s commitment to purchase products from Twist, allowing access to more synthesis capacity for anticipated growth1.

In summary, Twist supplies DNA, while Ginkgo focuses on programming cells for various applications. Their collaboration drives innovation in synthetic biology

There is no information suggesting that Twist Bioscience plans to make an offer for Ginkgo Bioworks. However, Twist Bioscience and Ginkgo Bioworks have an existing collaboration. In April 2022, they signed a new supply agreement, expanding their partnership in the synthetic biology ecosystem.

 The four-year agreement includes an increased commitment by Ginkgo to purchase products from Twist, with the option to access significantly more synthesis capacity to meet Ginkgo’s anticipated growth.

 So, while there’s no specific acquisition offer, their collaboration continues to strengthen their positions in the field of synthetic DNA and cell programming.

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