Paddlers pass sandy beaches, protected wilderness areas where ospreys and eagles roam and a blue heron rookery with upwards of 50 nests.

BBC: Portland's urban adventures

Its rivals include firms such as Blue Heron Biotechnology, founded in 1999, and DNA 2.0, founded in 2003, both of which also deliver DNA on demand.

FORBES: Architect of Life

Codon Chief Danner and John Mulligan, the founder of Blue Heron, have started an industry trade organization that will prevent misuse by flagging potentially dangerous gene sequences and doing checks on researchers who request DNA transcripts.

FORBES: Architect of Life