SAN FRANCISCO & SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IDbyDNA, a metagenomics technology company setting a new standard for the identification and understanding of microorganisms and their role in human health, today announced a commercial agreement with ZeptoMetrix, a world leading laboratory quality control (QC) and reference materials supplier. IDbyDNA will use the Explify® metagenomics technology platform to analyze such materials provided by ZeptoMetrix to ensure the accurate identification, molecular typing, and biological purity of viral reference strains, bacterial isolates, and other materials.

“ZeptoMetrix is the preferred choice for molecular diagnostic controls and panels for infectious disease testing,” said Shawn R. Smith, President and CEO of ZeptoMetrix. “Major molecular assay and platform manufacturers, as well as providers of proficiency testing services, count on ZeptoMetrix to ensure that complementary controls and verification materials are developed in the effort to ensure optimal utilization of their assays in the field. The Explify Platform, utilizing a database of over 50,000 microorganisms and over 3,000 infectious pathogens to identify and characterize microorganisms in an unbiased fashion, will be invaluable to us in meeting our clients’ needs for enhanced confidence and biological traceability in the quality controls, reference strains, and proficiency testing materials that we provide.”

“This agreement with ZeptoMetrix announced today is an example of how IDbyDNA’s Explify Platform can support leaders in the field of biological assay development to enhance their capability to deliver highly accurate results,” said IDbyDNA’s CEO, Guochun Liao, Ph.D. “We are constantly updating our databases to ensure we remain at the forefront of metagenomics-based identification of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. We look forward to supporting ZeptoMetrix in delivering easy-to-use, non-infectious, whole organism QC products that provide accurate and consistent results.”

As part of the agreement, IDbyDNA will perform next generation sequencing (RNA and/or DNA) and data analysis using the Explify Platform on viral strains and bacterial isolates provided by ZeptoMetrix. IDbyDNA will provide ZeptoMetrix with identification, genotyping information, and genome sequences of reference strains and will assess the biological purity of these materials.

This article was originally published in Business Wire. Read the full announcement here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190514005081/en/