Twist Bioscience Begins Shipping of Synthetic RNA Controls for UK Covid Variant

-- RNA Controls Can Help Avoid False Negative Results --

Twist Bioscience Corporation (Nasdaq: TWST), a company enabling customers to succeed through its offering of high-quality synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, today announced that it has started shipping its new synthetic RNA reference controls, which includes the new variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 identified in the United Kingdom. With this new strain (B1.1.7 lineage, variant under investigation VUI-202012/01), which contains multiple mutations in the spike protein and other areas of the viral genome, some of the RT-PCR probes used widely in COVID-19 testing no longer detect the S gene that codes for the spike protein. This can lead to false negative test results.

"By offering synthetic controls for this specific mutation, our customers are able to update their testing protocols, which will help to potentially avoid false negative results when testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection," said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. "These controls, used alone or in conjunction with our SARS-CoV-2 NGS RUO Assay to identify all SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid sequences, are invaluable research tools for monitoring viral evolution and for population-scale surveillance."

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