ZyGEM Corp. Ltd. and Phthisis Diagnostics today announced that they have entered into an agreement to develop products enabling the detection of infectious pathogens in complex samples, such as stool, blood and water. The collaboration will harness ZyGEM's advanced enzymatic nucleic acid extraction technology and Phthisis Diagnostics' molecular diagnostic expertise to provide fast, accurate and affordable solutions for obtaining high-quality DNA from infectious pathogens. The first target of the collaboration is extraction of pathogen DNA from stool, a particularly challenging sample.
ZyGEM's technology uses a proprietary thermophilic enzyme to extract DNA from samples using a single closed-tube system. ZyGEM's approach significantly reduces the time and cost of DNA extractions while simplifying laboratory workflow, minimizing error, reducing the risk of contamination, ensuring sample integrity and facilitating extractions from trace samples. It is easily adaptable for use with virtually all off-the-shelf laboratory automation systems. The technology can be specifically formulated for use with a wide range of different sample types without the need for further purification. ZyGEM's technology has been validated for use in research, forensic, diagnostic, agriculture and animal health applications.