Draft:Zymo Research

Zymo Research Corporation is a privately held biotechnology company based in Irvine, California.[1] Known also as The Epigenetics Company, with a portfolio covering the solutions for sample collection, DNA extraction, RNA extraction, library preparation, and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), and unique technologies for microbiome and epigenetics research.

History

Zymo Research was established in 1994 by Dr. Larry Jia to provide solutions for yeast transformation technologies and spin columns for nucleic acid purification.

The company’s first product was the Zymo-Spin Micro-Elution Spin Column for DNA and RNA purification from sample inputs. Over time, Zymo Research expanded its product offerings into epigenetics, microbiomics, and NGS technologies.[2] Beyond product development, the company offers end-to-end NGS services and automation support to provide high-throughput molecular biology solutions. Zymo Research has international offices in Germany and China.

COVID-19 Response

As labs faced critical shortages of resources needed for COVID-19 testing, Zymo Research provided products for sample collection, RNA extraction, and virus detection.[3] The company donated testing reagents to groups working on the front lines in developing countries and supported labs working to build their COVID-19 testing infrastructure.[4]

In May 2020, Zymo Research received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 testing workflow, consisting of respiratory sample collection in DNA/RNA Shield™ collection devices, RNA extraction using the Quick-DNA/RNA™ Viral MagBead Kit, and virus detection via the Quick SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR Kit.[5] The company was also granted the CE-IVD mark for all products within its COVID-19 testing pipeline, and the DNA/RNA Shield™ Collection Tube w/ Swab and DNA/RNA Shield™ SafeCollect Saliva Collection Kit were later issued a 510(k) clearance by the FDA as Class II medical devices.[6] [7] [8]

In addition to its reagent and kit development efforts, the company also released open-source software programs including the Zymo Research Transmit Program (ZRTP) and VirSieve™ Bioinformatics Pipeline source code.

Zymo Research also partnered with the California Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, and Orange County Sanitation Districts to offer COVID-19 testing in wastewater.[9] The company expanded its suite of NGS services to include COVID-19 variant identification and community wastewater surveillance, aiding the statewide effort to identify emerging SARS-CoV-2 strains and monitor disease outbreaks.[10]

Contributions to Sustainability

Zymo Research’s DNA/RNA Shield™ preserves nucleic acids at ambient temperatures, and eliminates cold-chain logistics for biological sample transport.

In addition, Zymo Research established the Molecular Wildlife & Ecology Grant for research on biodiversity and wildlife management.[11]

Partnerships

Zymo Research partners with sequencing system manufacturers including Illumina and Pacific Biosciences to provide its in-house NGS services.[12] [13] The company’s NGS focus spans applications in genomics, epigenomics, microbiomics, and transcriptomics.

Zymo Research also collaborates with manufacturers of liquid handling workstations such as Hamilton Company, Tecan, Opentrons Labworks, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Accuris Instruments, and Eppendorf to automate its nucleic acid purification and NGS library prep chemistries on open-deck platform for high-throughput sample processing.[14] [15] [16]

Throughout the past decade, Zymo Research has also formed partnerships with universities, government institutions, and biopharma companies. Zymo Research’s DNA/RNA Shield™ devices were customized for use in human microbiome research being conducted by The Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Collaborative aboard the International Space Station, earning the company recognition from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2019.[17]

As of 2024, Zymo Research has distribution agreements with Genesee Scientific, Government Scientific Source, MedSupply Partners, Quartzy, Research Products International, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Thomas Scientific, VWR International, Cedarlane Labs, JANT Pharmaceutical Corporation, Labscoop, Rhino Diagnostics, Seegene USA, Sycamore Life Sciences, and Zageno to distribute its products and services in North America.

Footnotes

[1]BioTechniques. (2024). Zymo Research. https://www.biotechniques.com/companies/zymo-research/.

[2] Bitesize Bio. (n.d.). Zymo Research. Retrieved from https://bitesizebio.com/companies/zymo-research/.

[3] Opentrons. (n.d.). 7 life science companies creating COVID-19 solutions. https://opentrons.com/archives/customer-stories/7-life-science-companies-creating-covid-19-solutions.

[4] PR Newswire. (2021, September 23). Zymo Research pays it forward with their commitment to eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic in India. https://www.prnewswire.com/il/news-releases/zymo-research-pays-it-forward-with-their-commitment-to-eradicate-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-india-301386263.html.

[5] PR Newswire. (2020, May 13). Zymo Research obtains emergency use authorization from FDA for their Quick SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR kit. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zymo-research-obtains-emergency-use-authorization-from-fda-for-their-quick-sars-cov-2-rrt-pcr-kit-301057233.html.

[6] PR Newswire. (2020, September 28). Zymo Research granted CE IVD mark for sample collection devices. https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/zymo-research-granted-ce-ivd-mark-for-sample-collection-devices-889473402.html.

[7] Medical Device Network. (2021, September 1). Zymo Research receives CE mark for sample collection kits. https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/news/zymo-sample-collection-kits/?cf-view.

[8] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2020). Premarket notification: Zymo Research Corporation – DNA/RNA Shield Collection Tube (K202641). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K202641.

[9] PR Newswire. (2021, March 23). Zymo Research offers community-wide SARS-CoV-2 detection and variant tracking with the Environ COVID-19 wastewater testing service. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zymo-research-offers-community-wide-sars-cov-2-detection-and-variant-tracking-with-the-environ-covid-19-wastewater-testing-service-301240237.html.

[10] GenomeWeb. (2021, May 27). Zymo Research COVID-19 variant sequencing service. https://www.genomeweb.com/resources/new-product/zymo-research-covid-19-variant-sequencing-service.

[11] Cision PR Newswire. (2023, May 2). Zymo Research introduces a molecular wildlife ecology grant to support wildlife conservation. https://www.wnct.com/business/press-releases/cision/20230502LA87218/zymo-research-introduces-a-molecular-wildlife-ecology-grant-to-support-wildlife-conservation/.

[12] GenomeWeb. (2015, February 2). Zymo becomes Illumina CSP for NGS. Retrieved from https://www.genomeweb.com/business-news/zymo-becomes-illumina-csp-ngs.

[13] PR Newswire. (2023, May 16). Zymo Research launches full-length 16S sequencing service to revolutionize microbiome research. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zymo-research-launches-full-length-16s-sequencing-service-to-revolutionize-microbiome-research-301826884.html.

[14] Hamilton Company. (2017, March 22). Hamilton Robotics and Zymo Research Corporation collaborate to enable high-throughput epigenetics research. https://www.hamiltoncompany.com/press-releases/hamilton-robotics-and-zymo-research-corporation-collaborate-to-enable-high-throughput-epigenetics-research.

[15] Tecan. (n.d.). DreamPrep NAP: Zymo Research. https://www.tecan.com/dreamprep-nap-zymo-research.

[16] Opentrons. (2023, June 15). Opentrons and Zymo partner on FLEX. https://opentrons.com/archives/news/opentrons-zymo-partner-flex.

[17] PR Newswire. (2019, June 4). Zymo Research recognized by NASA for its support of research aboard the International Space Station. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zymo-research-recognized-by-nasa-for-its-support-of-research-aboard-the-international-space-station-300861126.html.