New

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

USA - 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.

The base cash compensation for this California-based role is below. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for bonus, equity, and a generous benefits package. Final compensation amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate skill, experience, expertise, and location and may vary from the amount listed above. Compensation may be different in other locations.

San Francisco Bay Area Pay Range

$127,200 - $190,000 USD

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Twist Bioscience? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Twist Bioscience’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.