NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Enzymatics has licensed technology from a New Zealand research facility that could allow genomic sequencing to be done more cheaply and quickly, Massey University said this week.
The enzyme technology was developed in the laboratory of Wayne Patrick, a senior lecturer in biochemistry at the Institute of Natural Sciences at the university, and involves a new method of engineering ligase by fusing DNA-binding proteins to the ligase enzyme.
The result is a family of "more active and efficient" DNA ligases, the university said in a statement.
Enzymatics, a molecular biology enzyme manufacturing firm, will further develop, manufacture, and market the improved enzymes, Massey University said.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Enzymatics, based in Beverly, Mass., did not respond to a request for comment.
Patrick said his research tackles fundamental questions about the evolution of enzyme structure and function. "We used that fundamental understanding to help us engineer biomolecules with new or improved functions," he said.
The technology covered by Enzymatics' licensing agreement is especially applicable to next-generation sequencing and could lead to the faster development of personalized medicine, the university said.