Arzeda, the Protein Design Compan, Twist Bioscience Corporation, TeselaGen Biotechnology Inc. and Labcyte Inc. have partnered to build a state-of-the-art DNA assembly platform to significantly reduce the time and cost required to build genes encoding Arzeda’s designed proteins.
The customized platform supports the high-throughput screening of Arzeda’s computationally-designed proteins and enzymes. Arzeda will receive high-quality, linear DNA fragments from Twist Bioscience that will be used to assemble large collections of plasmids encoding Arzeda-designed proteins. Twist Bioscience will provide the DNA fragments in Labcyte acoustic-compatible plates for use with the Echo Liquid Handler from Labcyte, which will reduce cost and significantly speed Arzeda’s ability to test its proteins. The Echo system will automatically follow instructions generated by TeselaGen’s laboratory automation software to build large plasmid collections used in downstream testing.
“By adding the Echo Liquid Handler to the arsenal, we will build on our successful partnerships with Twist Bioscience and TeselaGen to reduce the time and cost of our DNA construction process by more than 10x,” said Alexandre Zanghellini, Ph.D., CEO of Arzeda. “By collaborating with these world-class leaders in DNA synthesis, liquid handling and automation, Arzeda’s Genetic Design-Build team will be able to construct thousands of very large genes per week, which will bring significant value to our commercial partners and our own internal projects,” he continued.
“Computational protein design is transformative for all biotechnology. Its reach includes designing novel enzymes for the sustainable manufacturing of chemicals and materials, improving existing biologics and developing new sensors for diagnostics. To deliver on this potential, Arzeda requires tight integration between large-scale computing and the rapid build-out and testing of massive collections of proteins designed using our proprietary software,” said Zanghellini.
Twist Bioscience has been Arzeda’s primary supplier of clonal, fully-built DNA for nearly two years and will now additionally provide large amounts of linear DNA fragments. “In this expanded partnership, we will provide the highest quality linear DNA in large-scale quantities to enable Arzeda to continue innovating its computational protein design functionality,” said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO of Twist. Twist Bioscience has also enabled its API to integrate with TeselaGen’s BUILD app, which automates DNA assembly design, so in addition to seamlessly ordering DNA from Twist Bioscience, Arzeda can also construct much longer segments of DNA.
TeselaGen’s Synthetic Evolution™ platform has been used by Arzeda for the last three years to generate protocols for DNA design via the TeselaGen DESIGN module, and has now been extended through a new BUILD module to generate instructions for laboratory robots such as the Echo Liquid Handler from Labcyte. Arzeda has already deployed TeselaGen’s BUILD module and plans to expand the relationship. “The platform we are building with Arzeda significantly accelerates workflows by optimizing information flow. It has been an exciting collaboration that continues to expand as we move downstream into the TEST and EVOLVE modules for analytic data acquisition and analysis,” said Michael Fero, Ph.D., CEO of TeselaGen.
About Labcyte
Labcyte, a global biotechnology tools company headquartered in San Jose, California, is revolutionizing liquid handling. Echo® Liquid Handlers use sound to precisely transfer liquids without contact, eliminating the use of pipettes. Labcyte instruments are used worldwide throughout the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, as well as by hospitals, service laboratories, contract research organizations, and academic institutions. Our customers work across a wide spectrum of scientific research, including drug discovery, genomics, proteomics, diagnostics and personalized medicine. Labcyte has 63 U.S. patents and others internationally. For more information, visit www.labcyte.com.
About TeselaGen
TeselaGen is building a deep learning-powered solution for rapid, precise and accurate DNA making and modification. TeselaGen’s cloud-based enterprise platform bridges the gap between good ideas and the realization of valuable products like vaccines, biologic medicines, and sustainably sourced chemicals. Positioned at the intersection of design and biology, TeselaGen is applying forward engineering approaches to design, build and test in the biological realm. TeselaGen is privately held and is based in the software hub of San Francisco, CA. Follow TeselaGen on Twitter, and learn more at teselagen.com
About Twist Bioscience Corporation
We are 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 our platform is a proprietary technology that pioneers a new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by “writing” DNA on a silicon chip. We are leveraging our unique technology to manufacture a broad range of synthetic DNA-based products, including synthetic genes, tools for next generation sample (NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and development. We are also pursuing longer-term opportunities in digital data storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. We make products for use across many industries including healthcare, industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research. For more information about our products and services, please visit www.twistbioscience.com. Twist Bioscience is on Twitter. Sign up to follow our Twitter feed @TwistBioscience at https://twitter.com/TwistBioscience.
About Arzeda
Since 2008 Arzeda, The Protein Design Company™, has harnessed the power of computational protein design to build novel enzymes and discover new pathways that enable cost effective, sustainable production of value-added specialty chemicals and ingredients. In partnership with Fortune 500 companies and industrial leaders, the company has developed a portfolio of proteins that increase the efficiency, robustness and diversity of biological processes. Our proprietary pathway design software unlocks new opportunities for specialty chemicals, advanced materials and health and nutrition products that would otherwise be impossible to exploit.
“The Echo Liquid Handler speeds up complex laboratory workflows and dramatically reduces running costs by miniaturizing reactions containing precious reagents,” said Mark Fischer-Colbrie, CEO of Labcyte. “Through this partnership, we will ensure the seamless integration of our acoustic liquid handling technology with the Arzeda platform to rapidly and reliably build and test novel proteins.”
