About Zymo Research

As a private company, Zymo Research revolves around the needs, ideas and feedback of customers. From product development to the renowned technical support, Zymo Research is built on a foundation of scientists supporting scientists. Our products challenge traditionally accepted ideas and workflows, with a belief that when you listen to the needs of customers, there is always room for innovation to make things more simple.

While researching unidentified pathogens, a young virologist became frustrated with conventional methods of nucleic acid clean up. Low concentrations of DNA from large elution volumes hindered his research and took up precious time. One day, he finally had enough of inefficient protocols and products, so he pioneered his own.

With a glass microfiber filter, a micro Eppendorf tube and a hot needle to make holes, the founder of Zymo Research fashioned the first ever micro-elution spin column.

The homemade spin column provided the scientist with very high concentrations of DNA from small elution volumes. The ultra-pure, highly concentrated DNA from the spin column enabled him to reliably sequence DNA directly from PCR without cloning, something that had previously been very inconsistent.

When nearby researchers noticed how efficiently the scientist was working, the spin columns started to disappear from his work station. It was clear that this technology fulfilled a widespread need in the industry, so he decided to make it available to the world. This marked the beginning of the Zymo-Spin Micro-Elution Spin Column.

Prompted by scorching temperatures in the Middle East and no access to freezers, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research set out to compare nucleic acid preservation methods to find the most reliable solution for collecting specimens for surveillance.

Inspired by the idea of a soldier in the Middle East with nothing more than a small tube and a backpack, Zymo Research submitted formulations that could preserve nucleic acids at any temperature and also protect users from harmful pathogens.

What would later become DNA/RNA Shield, the formulations provided by Zymo Research far outperformed other methods due to its ability to inactivate pathogens and stabilize RNA in extreme temperatures. The results of this study sparked other military interest from US Army Medical Detachments in Kuwait.

After validating the preservation of viral nucleic acids in DNA/RNA Shield, a group requested and distributed the solution throughout the region. The reagent helped the operation of field response to disease outbreaks and facilitated sample collection from places where medical assets were very limited.