Scientist / Sr Scientist / Staff Scientist (DNA Synthesis Chemistry) in South San Francisco, CA

Scientist / Sr Scientist / Staff Scientist (DNA Synthesis Chemistry) in South San Francisco, CA

Job Description

The R&D team at Twist Bioscience is searching for a curious, thoughtful, and driven Scientist to help us push the limits of our silicon-based DNA synthesis platform. We are looking for a true interdisciplinary scientist, someone who lives at the intersection of Nucleic Acid Chemistry, Surface Science, and Data Analysis.

You will focus on the fundamental chemistry that powers our platform. You must be able to recite the phosphoramidite cycle in your sleep, but you also need the coding skills to analyze the resulting NGS data and the biological intuition to understand how those molecules perform in downstream applications. We are looking for people who have:

• Deep technical knowledge. You understand the mechanism of DNA synthesis, side reactions, and how modified bases interact with the silicon surface.
• Fire in the belly. You are obsessed with optimization. You want to reduce error rates and increase yield.
• Data fluency. You don't rely on Excel. You write your own scripts to visualize complex datasets and identify root causes.

Job title and compensation will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to the candidate's years of experience, individual skills, knowledge, and abilities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead research projects to optimize the DNA synthesis cycle (coupling, oxidation, deblocking) on our proprietary silicon platform.
• Design and execute experiments using modified nucleic acid chemistries to solve stability and fidelity challenges (e.g., mitigating depurination or improving coupling efficiency).
• Investigate surface chemistry parameters and their impact on synthesis quality; bridge the gap between material science and organic chemistry.
• Code your own analysis: Use Python or R to ingest NGS datasets, visualize error profiles, and determine if chemical changes improved the sequence.
• Collaborate with biologists to validate your chemical improvements using gene assembly and library prep workflows.
• Document and communicate results clearly and succinctly.

Qualifications:

• Experience in Chemistry, Chemical Biology or combination of closely-related field and experience.
  • Scientist
    Requires a PhD and 0-2 years of previous professional experience;
    or a master's degree and 3-5 years of work experience
  • Sr Scientist
    Requires a Ph.D. and 2-5 years of professional experience (postdoc may count);
    or a master's degree and 5-7 years of work experience
  • Staff Scientist
    Requires a Ph.D. and 5-8 years of professional experience (postdoc may count);
    or a master's degree and 7 years of work experience
• Mastery of DNA Synthesis: Deep understanding of phosphoramidite chemistry and solid-phase synthesis cycles.
• Modified Chemistry Expertise: Familiarity with non-standard chemistries, including stability modifications, backbone alterations, and linkers for downstream functionalization. 
• Enzymatic Versatility: Comprehensive knowledge of the full nucleic acid toolkit (ligases, exonucleases, kinases, polymerases) and how to apply them to manipulate DNA structure for any application.
• NGS Workflow Knowledge: Understanding of library preparation and next-generation sequencing fundamentals to ensure synthesis products are compatible with downstream analysis.
• Coded Data Analysis: Proven ability to use Python, R, or JMP to analyze and visualize large datasets (NGS data preferred).
• Surface Chemistry: Experience with surface functionalization or DNA-surface interactions is a major plus.

About Twist Bioscience

Twist Bioscience synthesizes genes from scratch, known as “writing” DNA. Just as children learn to both read and write, the next phase of development for the genomics revolution is the ability to write DNA.

At Twist Bioscience, we work in service of people who are changing the world for the better. In fields such as health care, agriculture, industrial chemicals and data storage, our unique silicon-based DNA Synthesis Platform provides precision at a scale that is otherwise unavailable to our customers.

Twist Bioscience Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Twist Bioscience Corporation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic characteristics, or any other category protected by law.