Wellington, Nov 20 NZPA - Hamilton-based biotech start-up Zygem Corporation has signed a deal with a big American laboratory supply and distribution business VWR.

The American company will help it sell its DNA extraction technology products throughout North and South America.

Zygem started a branch office with 10 staff at Solana Beach near San Diego in its pursuit of the billion-dollar global market for DNA tests.

Its technology extracts DNA from samples using a single closed-tube system, which the company says reduces the risk of contamination.

"This technology is transforming," Zygem's North American operations chief executive Paul Kinnon said in a statement.

"Greater access to our DNA extraction kits will facilitate the growing use of genetic analyses in diverse applications."

VWR, a global company with worldwide sales of $US3.5 billion ($NZ6.5b), sells products to the world's top pharmaceutical and biotech companies, as well as industrial, educational and government organisations.

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