Unique Preservative Permits Ambient Temperature Storage of Biological Samples

Biotech researchers and other life scientists now have available a novel line of collection, transport, and storage kits that employ a unique preservative material and do not require refrigeration or freezing.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milford, MA, USA) has introduced the “AssayAssure” line, which they say is a revolutionary and flexible preservative for collecting clinical and industrial biological specimens. AssayAssure kits include sterile plastic tubes or vials, swabs, and a proprietary liquid preservative.

Used without refrigeration, the preservative prolongs cell viability by slowing cellular metabolism and providing thermal protection. This improves amplification of DNA and RNA by neutralizing inhibitory substances while eliminating freeze/thaw damage to nucleic acids. In addition, the preservative suppresses nuclease and protease activity, removes assay interference by neutralizing enzymes and proteins that inhibit amplification, and normalizes sample pH to enhance preservation of targets during transport and storage.

The preservative utilizes a unique chemical formulation to protect sample components from cell death and molecular degradation without refrigeration. It is recommended for collecting a range of environmental, food safety, forensic and biomedical swab samples. AssayAssure can also be used with containers for urine and microbial samples.

The AssayAssure system can be used to preserve bacterial specimens for up to 26 days at ambient temperatures, while other biological samples can be maintained for 14-26 days at ambient temperatures.

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