BRIEF—Twist seeks to raise $200 million in public offering

DNA expert Twist Bioscience is to sell up to $200 million worth of common stock in an underwritten public offering.

Twist, a San Franciscan firm creating high-quality synthetic DNA using a proprietary silicon platform, plans to use the money to invest in R&D, including in pharmaceutical biologics drug discovery and in DNA data storage.

The firm will also boost its commercial organization and fund global expansion, and may in-license, acquire or invest in complementary businesses or products.

Twist has inked collaborations with a number of global life science firms, including a recent deal with Japan’s Sosei Group to develop therapeutic antibodies against G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR).