About

SNPshot™ stands apart from existing DNA sampling systems, because it is so seamless and simple.

Its seven-year development is a genuine case of clean-sheet design. There was no looking back. Instead its creators took full advantage of today’s technology to meet the needs of its two end users – that is, farmers sampling in the field and DNA labs processing the resulting samples.

SNPshot™ was designed with significant input from both farmers and DNA labs. The result is a system that is very easy for farmers to use and samples that are simple to process in the lab.

SNPshot™ is the brainchild of the late Mike Gardner, the same man who founded the global livestock identification system Zee Tags in 1991.

Mike grew up on a New Zealand sheep and beef farm and believed a better system for tagging animals was needed. Under Mike’s leadership, Zee Tags grew into a multi-million dollar company, with distribution into 57 countries. The company was sold to Datamars in 2014 and continues to be an innovator in livestock identification.

During his time with Zee Tags, Mike foresaw the global potential for DNA testing in production animal farming and recognised he could entirely reconfigure and streamline the system. The result is SNPshot™.

SNPshot™’s development has drawn heavily on New Zealand talent. Mike sought out New Zealand’s leading engineering, design and manufacturing businesses, including Absolute Plastics, Adept, FlexWare, AgResearch, Globex Engineering, Nautech Electronics, Rezare Systems, RML Engineering and RPM International.