EKF Diagnostics has introduced a molecular transport media called PrimeStore® MTM (molecular transport medium) that gives users a “snapshot” in time for a specific sample by stabilizing and preserving RNA and DNA.
PrimeStore® MTM has been developed and improved for molecular testing, enabling users to collect, transport, and process pathogenic samples in a safe and efficient manner. Millons of PrimeStore® MTM tubes have been sold to clients worldwide during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
The molecular transport medium has been designed to inactivate infectious biological pathogens, such as gram-positive/negative bacteria as well as viruses and, at the same time, it preserves and stabilizes labile RNA and DNA for downstream molecular applications.
Viral transport media, or VTM, were developed to transport flawless samples to be cultured before the extensive use of molecular testing. Such media also contain ingredients that suppress optimal molecular testing. By contrast, PrimeStore® MTM was developed and improved particularly for molecular testing.
PrimeStore® MTM is the only FDA Class 2 cleared product developed for storage and stabilization of microbial nucleic acids. As such, laboratories and hospitals are confident that PrimeStore® MTM can offer more reliable and safer testing when compared to saline, VTM/UTM, or research use-only devices.
Laboratories have individually verified PrimeStore® MTM with an array of platforms, like Thermo Fisher, Roche, Luminex, Siemens, Abbott, BioMerieux, Promega, PSS, Bio-Rad, and also the Cepheid GeneXpert point-of-care platform.
A major feature of PrimeStore® MTM is that it enables laboratory groups to process numerous tests from just one sample that has been stabilized and inactivated in PrimeStore® MTM.
Numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles, dating from 2011 onwards, are available. These articles support the application of PrimeStore® MTM for detecting pathogens from an array of biofluid types and clinical matrices gathered and processed in different nations. A selection of these is available from EKF Diagnostics' website www.ekfdiagnostics.com
Key features
- Exclusive design
- Multiple viruses can be tested from a single sample swab including COVID-19 and flu
- No requirement for cold chain storage and transportation of the sample
- Can be used with TB, COVID-19, HIV, flu A, flu B, and more
- CE marked and FDA Class 2 cleared
Antibacterial effectiveness testing, cert. USP 32-NF 27<51>
Bacteria and fungi
Table 1. Source: EKF Diagnostics
| Organism |
Positive control
(cfu/mL) |
PrimeStore MTM + Organism
(% killed) |
| E. coli |
6.4 x 107 |
100 |
| S. aureus |
6.0 x 107 |
100 |
| MRSA |
4.7 x 106 |
100 |
Viruses
Table 2. Source: EKF Diagnostics
| Organism |
Positive control
(TCID50/mL) |
PrimeStore MTM + Organism
(% killed) |
| Influenza A (H3N2) |
7.5 x 108 |
>99.99 |
| Adenovirus type 5 |
7.5 x 108 |
>99.99 |
| Influenza A (H5N1) |
7.5 x 107 |
>99.99 |
*Initial 4-log dilutions of PrimeStore® MTM + viruses are needed due to PrimeStore® lysis of tissue culture.
Stability of influenza A RNA in PrimeStore® MTM
Image Credit: EKF Diagnostics
Image Credit: EKF Diagnostics
PrimeStore® MTM is different from a majority of the sample collection systems and eases cold chain requirements for collecting and transporting samples. This ensures RNA stability for 28 days at 2 °C to 8 °C or 7 days at ambient temperatures.
Long-term frozen storage
Image Credit: EKF Diagnostics
The PrimeStore® MTM collection tube has been improved for short, medium, and long-term storage, since samples placed in PrimeStore® MTM are ready for bio-banking without the need for extra supplies.