Thermo Fisher Scientific Releases Thermo Scientific InstaFlux

WALTHAM, Mass. — Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the global launch of Thermo Scientific InstaFlux, an integrated media-on-demand enrichment workflow designed to help food microbiology laboratories simplify media preparation, improve productivity and enhance sample traceability. 

Thermo Fisher Scientific said food testing laboratories face growing pressure to process more samples, meet turnaround expectations and maintain consistent quality while managing staffing constraints, sustainability goals and increasingly complex workflows.¹ The InstaFlux workflow² enables laboratories to prepare media on demand in less than 30 minutes* and supports a simplified process to sample incubation, the company reported. The workflow can help reduce media prep labor by more than 80%*, support greater than 35% workflow cost savings* and lower water and energy consumption by up to 90%*, depending on laboratory workflow and operating conditions, said Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Also according to the company, Thermo Scientific InstaFlux helps laboratories prepare enrichment media when needed. "As food testing demands continue to grow, laboratories need solutions that help them do more with the resources they have," said Claribel Purcell, interim president of the microbiology business at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Thermo Scientific InstaFlux reflects our commitment to helping customers modernize enrichment workflows through a simpler, on-demand approach that supports productivity, traceability and long-term operational sustainability."

The InstaFlux workflow enables specific capabilities, Thermo Fisher Scientific said, including:

• Media on demand: Helps laboratories prepare enrichment media when needed. 
• Workflow efficiency: Helps reduce hands-on media preparation steps while supporting barcode-driven workflows, digital audit trails and LIMS-ready data integration when preparing food samples.
• Validated performance: Supports gravimetric dispensing across 10 g to 125 g workflows in accordance with ISO 11133 and ISO 6887-1 and ISO 7218, when validated by the laboratory, Thermo Fisher Scientific reported. 
• Sustainability and operator safety: Helps reduce packaging, plastic waste, water use, energy consumption and manual handling. 

InstaFlux is designed for high- and mid-throughput food microbiology laboratories, including contract testing laboratories and food manufacturers. The workflow is particularly relevant for laboratories using buffered peptone water in routine enrichment workflows, where staffing, space, preparation time, traceability and waste can create operational constraints, according to Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

Laboratories interested in learning more about Thermo Scientific InstaFlux or requesting a demonstration should contact their Thermo Fisher representative by visiting www.thermofisher.com/instaflux.

References and more  

1 Technology Networks Applied Sciences Blog
2 Labware Blog on Contract Testing

*Performance results are based on internal testing, workflow modeling or defined-use evaluations and may vary based on laboratory workflow, sample volume, media type, equipment configuration, operating practices and local validation requirements. Claims regarding reductions in labor, workflow time, water use, energy use, packaging or waste are based on comparison with defined conventional media preparation workflows under specified conditions. Customers are responsible for validating workflows in accordance with applicable laboratory, regulatory and quality requirements. LIMS integration and data-transfer capabilities depend on system configuration and compatibility.