As businesses, universities and schools reopen, SARS-CoV-2 virus surveillance is critical to the management of outbreaks and emerging new strains, including the Delta variant that now makes up 91 percent of new cases in the United Kingdom. To support large-scale research and surveillance programs, Thermo Fisher Scientific today introduced the Thermo Scientific SpeciMAX Saliva Collection Kit*.

While most approved methods for SARS-CoV-2 saliva collection use specialized tubes and buffers for RNA stabilization and virus inactivation, researchers have found that this expensive approach may not always be required. The SpeciMAX Saliva Collection Kit is designed to provide a widely available, cost-effective solution for raw saliva collection to simplify saliva-based testing, which is necessary for SARS-CoV-2 mapping and epidemiological studies on a global scale. The easy-to-use self-collection kits facilitate clean saliva transfers, reduce risk of cross-contamination when paired with liquid handlers, and fit seamlessly into viral RNA extraction and direct-to-PCR downstream automation workflows for high throughput surveillance testing.

"As governments lift mask mandates and new, more transmissible strains gain dominance, increased SARS-CoV-2 surveillance is needed to quickly curb outbreaks before they spread," said Ellie Mahjubi, vice president and general manager of sample preparation, Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Effective surveillance largely depends on testing frequency and labs need a cost-effective solution for saliva collection that can work within current automation workflows. With SpeciMAX, labs will be able to capture raw saliva with minimal workflow disruption and minimal manual processing, enabling more efficient SARS-CoV-2 research and surveillance."

The individually packaged and barcoded kits require just 1 mL of saliva and include a convenient funnel and cap to secure the sample for processing. The standardized collection tube size can hold 6 mL sample volume yet requires less refrigeration, incubation, and storage space than other collection kits available on the market.