For more information about GenomeWeb, visit www.genomeweb.com.

Phthisis Diagnostics was represented by Dr. Crystal Icenhour, Mrs. Elizabeth Coleman, and Ms. Linh Nguyen.  Dr. Icenhour gave a presentation on Careers in Start Ups for the Special Interest Symposium on Non-Academic Career Tracks in Microbiology.  Dr. Icenhour also presented a poster on Phthisis’ lead product, B-Sphere™ Stool DNA Extraction kit.  Mrs. Coleman presented a poster on Phthisis’ intestinal parasite diagnostic, R-Sphere™ Crypto/Giardia Detect and Ms. Nguyen presented a poster on molecular standards.

For more information on Phthisis Diagnostics’ and its products, visit www.phthisisdiagnostics.com.  For additional information on the ASM 110th General Meeting, visit www.gm.asm.org.

The Phthisis Diagnostics Team at the ASM 110th General Meeting

Phthisis Diagnostics will be showcased in the Start-up Companies presentations, along with three other companies: ADial, ContraVac, and Privaris.  Additional information about the UVA Venture Summit can be found at www.virginia.edu/vpr/venture_summit.html.

Additional information about the National Science Foundation can be found at: www.nsf.org.

The Southeastern BIO Investor Forum is the Southeast region’s premier life sciences venture capital conference, connecting emerging life science companies with potential investors in a forum that provides meaningful networking opportunities.  More information regarding this event can be found at: http://www.sebio.org/investorforum/2009/companies.aspx.

Phthisis Diagnostics is a Charlottesville, VA based biotechnology company focused on developing molecular diagnostics for various infectious diseases.  Additional information about Phthisis Diagnostics can be found at:  http://www.phthisisdiagnositcs.com.

Biotechnology firms from the Charlottesville area will make up six of the 24 presenters at the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Bio Conference from Nov. 4-6 at Washington’s Convention Center.

Julia Spicer, executive director of conference co-host the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association, said it is coincidental but not surprising that the region will be well represented at the conference.

“Charlottesville is growing and nurturing this sector,” Spicer said. “What this may mean is that there is a growing, strengthening community in the Charlottesville area helping to support and build these companies.”

CNN Money declared Charlottesville as one of the top small metropolitan areas to start a business in 2009.

Of the nine more established companies that will give presentations, two are from the area. HemoShear helps drug development companies find safe drug candidates, while openQ offers software related to the medical and scientific communities.

The other 15 emerging companies will have eight minutes to entice investors with a pitch. The local companies that will make presentations are substance abuse medication developer ADial Pharmaceuticals, male reproductive health product developer ContraVac, infectious disease diagnostic test creator Phthisis Diagnostics and heart-related medical device developer EpiEP.

Conference presenters are chosen from applications, Spicer said. The conference is a way for companies to network and potentially attract investors. More than 850 firms from 30 states and 10 countries will be present during this year’s event.

Crystal Icenhour, the president of Phthisis, said the company is attending the conference to raise capital.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to get our company in front of a large group of potential investors,” Icenhour said. “In addition to making a formal presentation, we also have the opportunity to have a booth so people can find us after presentations are completed.”

Ed Leary, president of ContraVac, said the conference seems like a good fit for companies with connections to the University of Virginia, such as ContraVac.

“We’re seeking investments, and Mid-Atlantic Bio is an excellent opportunity to get out to the right investors,” Leary said.

Solana Beach, Calif., Hamilton, New Zealand, & Charlottesville, VA – October 22, 2009 – ZyGEM Corp. Ltd. and Phthisis Diagnostics today announced that they have entered into an agreement to develop products enabling the detection of infectious pathogens in complex samples, such as stool, blood and water.  The collaboration will harness ZyGEM’s advanced enzymatic nucleic acid extraction technology and Phthisis Diagnostics’ molecular diagnostic expertise to provide fast, accurate and affordable solutions for obtaining high-quality DNA from infectious pathogens.  The first target of the collaboration is extraction of pathogen DNA from stool, a particularly challenging sample.

 ZyGEM’s technology uses a proprietary thermophilic enzyme to extract DNA from samples using a single closed-tube system.  ZyGEM’s approach significantly reduces the time and cost of DNA extractions while simplifying laboratory workflow, minimizing error, reducing the risk of contamination, ensuring sample integrity and facilitating extractions from trace samples.  It is easily adaptable for use with virtually all off-the-shelf laboratory automation systems. The technology can be specifically formulated for use with a wide range of different sample types without the need for further purification.  ZyGEM’s technology has been validated for use in research, forensic, diagnostic, agriculture and animal health applications.

 “The ability of ZyGEM’s unique temperature-controlled DNA extraction technology to work well with a wide range of sample types makes it suitable for use with challenging targets with high unmet need,” said Paul Kinnon, CEO of ZyGEM.  “We believe the accuracy, simplicity and ease-of-use of our technology make it an especially good fit with the product focus of Phthisis Diagnostics. This new agreement for specialized DNA extraction products is the most recent in a series of ZyGEM collaborations with diverse partners to ensure the availability of our versatile technology for a wide variety of DNA extraction needs, and we look forward to a mutually productive relationship.”

 Phthisis Diagnostics is an advanced biotechnology company developing sensitive, easy-to-use molecular tests for infectious diseases.  “We are committed to developing innovative technologies that provide researchers and clinicians with products to accurately, simply, and cost-effectively perform molecular detection assays, and we believe that access to ZyGEM’s distinctive temperature-controlled nucleic acid extraction technology will help advance that goal,” said Crystal R. Icenhour, Ph.D., President and Director of Research at Phthisis Diagnostics.  “We look forward to incorporating ZyGEM’s unique technology into our molecular diagnostic product line, as this technology will facilitate our goal to improve infectious disease diagnostic accuracy and ease-of-use in challenging matrices.”

 Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About ZyGEM Corporation

ZyGEM Corporation Limited is a rapidly growing biotechnology company with a range of innovative enzyme-based products and technologies based on the company’s exclusive collection of microorganisms from extreme environments. ZyGEM’s technology has significant competitive advantages over existing methods and has potential applications in a number of sizeable global markets.  ZyGEM currently produces DNA extraction and detection products, molecular biology enzymes and individual enzymes and diagnostics, serving life sciences customers in basic research, forensics, clinical diagnostics and agriculture.  ZyGEM has facilities in New Zealand and the U.S.A.  For more information, visit www.ZyGEM.com.

 About Phthisis Diagnostics

Phthisis Diagnostics is a biotechnology research and development firm that develops molecular diagnostics for publicly important infectious diseases.  Phthisis Diagnostics’ molecular diagnostics are more reliable and easier to use than existing technologies and present significant advantages to labs with superior accuracy, ease-of-use, and enhanced margins.  Phthisis Diagnostics is based in Charlottesville, Virginia.  For more information, visit www.phthisisdiagnostics.com.