Thermo Fisher Scientific unveils Thermo Scientific InstaFlux to help food microbiology laboratories streamline pathogen and environmental testing workflows

Thermo Fisher Scientific has recently announced the global launch of Thermo Scientific InstaFlux, an integrated media-on-demand enrichment workflow developed to help food microbiology laboratories simplify media preparation, boost productivity, and strengthen sample traceability.

Food testing laboratories are operating under mounting pressure to process higher volumes of samples, meet tighter turnaround expectations, and uphold consistent quality, all while navigating staffing constraints, sustainability commitments, and increasingly intricate workflows. InstaFlux allows laboratories to prepare media on demand in under 30 minutes and supports a more streamlined path to sample incubation. Depending on laboratory workflow and operating conditions, the solution can help cut media preparation labour by more than 80%, deliver workflow cost savings exceeding 35%, and reduce water and energy consumption by as much as 90%. Rather than producing and storing large batches of enrichment media in advance, laboratories can prepare exactly what they need, precisely when they need it.

Conventional batch-based media preparation typically involves advance planning, autoclaving, bottle handling, and dedicated storage space. InstaFlux removes these constraints by enabling laboratories to produce enrichment media on demand.

“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, 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 delivers a specific set of capabilities across several areas. On the media preparation front, it enables laboratories to produce enrichment media when required, reducing dependence on manual batch-based approaches. From a workflow efficiency standpoint, it cuts down hands-on preparation steps while supporting barcode-driven processes, digital audit trails, and data integration with laboratory information management systems. Performance has been validated to support gravimetric dispensing across 10g to 125g workflows in line with ISO standards, subject to laboratory validation. On sustainability and operator safety, the workflow helps lower packaging waste, plastic use, water consumption, energy use, and manual handling compared to traditional media and sample preparation methods.

InstaFlux is suited to high and mid-throughput food microbiology laboratories, including contract testing facilities and food manufacturers looking to improve throughput, standardise workflows across multiple sites, and ease the operational demands associated with conventional media preparation. The workflow is especially well-suited to laboratories using buffered peptone water in routine enrichment processes, where staffing limitations, space constraints, preparation time, traceability requirements, and waste management can create meaningful operational challenges.

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Related Topics and Keywords

InstaFlux, pathogen, Thermo Fisher Scientific