DURHAM – BioSkryb, an emerging genetics startup in Durham, is gearing up to commercialize its proprietary technology after landing $11.5 million in an initial round of venture funding.

Anzu Partnners led the round.

BioSkryb is built around a breakthrough to provide better amplification and analysis of genetic material for better gene sequencing.

“The technology provides uniform coverage of almost the entire genome, allowing for unparalleled accuracy in DNA variant calling,” the company says.

“The technology will support a new wave of single cell and low DNA input genomics applications in diverse areas of life sciences research, including cancer biology, microbiology, and genetics.”

Charles Gawad, an MD, invented the technology known as Primary Template directed genome Amplification (PTA) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where he is an assistant member in the departments of Oncology and Computational Biology. He is a cofounder BioSkryb and serves as codirector.

The company sees use for its technology in translational research and clinical diagnostics.

“Existing DNA amplification systems simply cannot provide the level of coverage and accuracy researchers need to fully understand the genomics of individual cells, where the amount of available genetic material is miniscule,” said Jay West, who also  is a cofounder and serves as Chief Executive Officer of BioSkryb. “This amplification technology provides an unprecedented level of clarity and paves the way for a new era of genomic research, especially for single cell genomics in cancer research, and for bacterial genomics.”

West is a veteran life science executive and also an inventor.

“Drs. Evans and Kadia each bring decades of valuable leadership experience to BioSkryb, and we are delighted they are joining its Board of Directors to help the company grow and commercialize its technology globally,” said David Michael, Managing Partner of Anzu Partners, in the announcement.

Anzu has more than $350 million under management with offices in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere.