Sep 4 2008
ZyGEM Corp. Ltd. today announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. (CBI) to further evaluate and use ZyGEM's forensicGEM(TM) DNA extraction technology in CBI's forensic operations. The collaboration will also combine ZyGEM's innovative technologies and CBI's forensic expertise to develop additional products for the forensic DNA market. Terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.
"Our forensicGEM(TM) DNA extraction kits provide important advantages to forensic scientists, and we are delighted to partner in the U.S. with a technically sophisticated, knowledgeable and respected company such as CBI," said Paul Kinnon, CEO of ZyGEM. "We believe that our unique DNA extraction products are easy to implement in a variety of settings and have the potential to generate significant process improvements and efficiencies. We understand that CBI scientists are already achieving success in integrating our newly expanded portfolio of forensic products into their workflows, and we look forward to joining forces to develop additional products for this growing field."
CBI is integrating ZyGEM's forensicGEM(TM) kits into its Fairfax Identity Laboratories DNA reference operations. A leader in the research, development and use of advanced forensic procedures, CBI's Fairfax Identity Laboratories analyze over 50,000 forensic samples each year while also developing enhanced forensic testing procedures.
"We are very pleased with the performance to date of ZyGEM's unique nucleic acid extraction technology and expect that it will continue to provide us with improvements in turnaround, efficiency and cost, especially for our growing volume of CODIS sample processing," said Thomas R. Reynolds, executive vice president of science and technology at CBI. "We also look forward to combining our complementary expertise to develop additional new products for improved DNA forensic processing."
The forensicGEM(TM) family of kits uses a proprietary enzyme to extract DNA from samples using a single closed-tube system. The forensicGEM(TM) approach simplifies laboratory workflow, minimizes error, reduces the risk of contamination and ensures sample integrity while also reducing costs. The kits are easy to automate for high-throughput applications using off-the-shelf robotic systems. They have been specifically formulated for DNA extraction from a range of different crime sample types without the need for further purification. With forensicGEM(TM), researchers can prepare samples up to three times faster than with existing products and at a lower cost.