ZyGEM and DIAGNOTEC Collaborate on Diagnostics for Detecting a Devastating Virus Attack...( - Improved Technology Will Provide t...)

- Improved Technology Will Provide the Early Detection Critical to Prevent

IPN Viral Spread in Fish Farms and Wild Stocks -

HAMILTON, New Zealand, SOLANA BEACH, Calif. and SANTIAGO, Chile, June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- ZyGEM Corp Ltd. and DIAGNOTEC S.A. today announced they have entered into an agreement to produce molecular diagnostics for the detection of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), a deadly pathogen that attacks salmon and other fish species. The collaboration is harnessing ZyGEM's advanced enzymatic nucleic acid extraction technology and DIAGNOTEC's expertise in identification and testing for diseases affecting fish and other food crops to provide fast, accurate and affordable detection of IPNV. DIAGNOTEC will use ZyGEM's enzymatic DNA detection tools in its IPNV products and services for the Chilean salmon industry, which is among the largest producers of salmon in the world.

"As demands on the global food industry rise, innovative approaches to maintaining the health and productivity of food stock species are growing in importance," said Paul Kinnon, CEO of ZyGEM. "DIAGNOTEC is an emerging leader in the development of innovative diagnostics to detect and prevent the spread of food species pathogens, and we welcome the opportunity to incorporate our unique enzyme-based nucleic acid extraction technology to further enhance their diagnostic products and services for the aquaculture sector."

IPNV is a highly contagious virus that was relatively uncommon in wild fish but whose incidence is on the rise as a result of the increase in large-scale fish farming in a number of regions, including Chile, Norway and Scotland. IPNV can be easily transmitted through contact with infected water and then passed along to offspring, posing a threat to the fast-growing $70 billion worldwide fish farming industry* and to wild fish stocks. Vigilance in detection of the virus and prompt destruction of infected fish and eggs are esse
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