CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, public health laboratories and researchers have been developing surveillance methods using wastewater to control the spread of COVID-19. The effort has helped identify asymptomatic carriers on college campuses to monitor regional spread among communities and capture emerging mutations ahead of potential future outbreaks. To support these efforts, Thermo Fisher Scientific today introduced the MagMAX Wastewater Ultra Nucleic Acid Isolation Kit.

Unlike other testing methods, which require nasal swabs or saliva samples, wastewater testing can assess infection rates among a general population up to two weeks earlier than individual or pooled testing. The MagMAX Wastewater Ultra Nucleic Acid Isolation Kit offers a flexible, easy-to-implement solution for labs setting up new surveillance programs or incorporating SARS-CoV-2 testing into existing ones. Combined with Thermo Fisher's comprehensive portfolio of products to support the entire workflow, such as KingFisher purification systems and QuantStudio qPCR platforms, the kit provides an end-to-end solution for detecting SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater.

"As COVID-19 perseveres as a global health threat, wastewater surveillance has become increasingly prevalent," said Ellie Mahjubi, vice president/general manager, Sample Preparation at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Labs need reliable, fast and scalable methods for monitoring viruses and other infectious agents in our communities. The MagMAX wastewater kits offer a flexible, easy-to-use solution that works seamlessly with existing protocols."

The MagMAX Wastewater Ultra Nucleic Acid Isolation Kit is compatible with a range of input volumes ranging from 200 µl to 500 mL, and works with various upfront concentration methods, including ultracentrifugation, precipitation, and filtration. For labs in need of an automated viral enrichment method, the MagMAX Wastewater Ultra Nucleic Acid Isolation Kit with virus enrichment uses Dynabeads technology to automate and streamline sample concentration.

To learn more about the MagMAX Wastewater Ultra Nucleic Acid Isolation Kits, visit www.thermofisher.com/magmaxwastewater.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue of approximately $35 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 90,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

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SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific