ZyGEM offers innovative products derived from our novel collection of enzymes

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

ZyGEM is a world leader in identifying and commercializing novel enzymes from extremophiles—microorganisms that exist in extreme environments around the globe. These enzymes have a multitude of current and potential applications in science and industry. ZyGEM’s internal and external research team includes individuals who have many decades of expertise in extremophiles and who are recognized leaders in the field. Central to the company’s core technology and product development efforts is the ZyGEM Culture Collection, a proprietary selection of 2000 microbial cultures isolated from a variety of locations worldwide.

ZyGEM currently offers two product families developed from its proprietary enzymes: prepGEM™ and forensicGEM™. These innovative products for DNA extraction and detection are available in a wide variety of formats for specific applications and provide important benefits to our customers, including increased speed, yield and accuracy at a lower cost.

In addition, over the past year ZyGEM has developed and acquired two new innovative technologies, microbial fingerprinting and isothermal DNA amplification, that provide a natural fit with the core DNA-extraction products and represent major new market opportunities.

SOLID RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT YIELDS UNIQUE COLLECTION OF ENZYMES

ZyGEM’s technology and product portfolio is built around more than 20 years of research and development investment in its exclusive collection of more than 2000 microorganisms from extreme environments, including rare thermophilic organisms, as well as hundreds of characterized and documented enzymes.

ZyGEM’s proprietary thermophilic-derived EA1 enzyme formed the basis for the company’s patented forensicGEM™ and prepGEM™series of DNA extraction and detection kits, which were among the first products developed and commercialized from ZyGEM’s culture collections.

ZyGEM’s process based on these thermophilic enzymes extracts DNA using a unique single, closed-tube cycling process. This innovative technology has major competitive advantages over existing and historical methods. The benefits are significant and include:

Substantial cost savings
Process times up to three times faster than traditional methods
Sample extraction up through DNA amplification is accomplished in just 20 minutes
Uses closed-tube system reducing the risk of sample contamination and researcher infection
Easily automated with standard robotics
Increased throughput without additional equipment
Greater yields from smaller samples
Increased accuracy of results

ZyGEM’s laboratory products for DNA extraction and analysis meet or exceed all applicable manufacturing, safety and regulatory requirements, and our facility has been certified for production.