TwistDx Limited (formerly ASM Scientific Ltd) is a biotechnology company founded in 1999, and became part of the Alere Group in March 2010. TwistDx developed a breakthrough isothermal DNA amplification technology called Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA). RPA is a revolutionary alternative to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and is positioned to become the DNA-based diagnostic platform of the future with wide ranging applications in a number of fields, including medical diagnostics, veterinary medicine, industrial applications, food testing, agriculture, public health, biosecurity and environmental sensing.

In 2009 TwistDx launched the TwistAmp ® product range, and in doing so the world’s first DNA amplification kit using RPA. Included within this TwistAmp ® product range are kits for TwistAmp ® Basic (gel electrophoresis detection, cloning and basic isothermal amplification), TwistAmp ® exo and fpg (real-time fluorescent detection) and the TwistAmp ® nfo (lateral flow detection). Already researchers have published peer-reviewed articles showing how TwistAmp ® kits can detect HIV-1 proviral DNA (Boyle DS et al. mBio 4(2):e00135-13) and a panel of biothreat agents including Bacillus anthracis and the Ebolla virus (Euler et al J Clin Microbiol. 2013 51(4):1110-7) and how RPA tests can be performed using a simple paper and plastic device (Rohrman et al Lab Chip 2012 Jun 26) or a slip-chip for digital quantification (Shen et al Anal Chem. 2011 May 1;83(9):3533-40).

To further enable the adoption of RPA, TwistDx launched the Twista ® a portable, real-time fluorometer. The Twista ® is an easy-to-use, cheaper alternative to real-time thermal cyclers and plate readers for running RPA reactions.

TwistDx’s Novel Test to Detect MRSA was selected as a Winner in the NHS Smart Solutions Programme in 2009 and they also announced a collaboration with Monsanto to begin field trials of rapid diagnostic tests for more efficient delivery of biotech crops.

In September 2010 TwistDx expanded and opened the production site based on the Cambridge Science Park. The Babraham Research Campus site is now used specifically for R&D.

In 2012 TwistDx launched TwistAmp ® exo RT (for RNA amplification and detection) and kits specifically designed for the detection of the Salmonella enterica target gene INVA - TwistFlow ® Salmonella (lateral flow detection) and TwistGlow ® Salmonella (fluorescent detection).