Multipurpose Compositions for Collecting and Transporting Biological Material

Abstract

The invention is directed to compositions and methods for collecting, transporting, and storing, preferably without refrigeration, biological materials, which may comprise samples of biological, clinical, forensic, and/or environmental origin. Compositions preserve the fidelity and/or viability of the collected organisms and/or macromolecules in the sample and permit long-term storage. Compositions are compatible with manipulation of the sample, including propagation and culture of the microorganisms, or isolation, purification, detection, and characterization of macromolecules. Compositions containing microorganisms or macromolecules can be further processed, for example, by nucleic acid testing with greater fidelity and detection as compared to conventional microbial transport media. In particular, the compositions disclosed allow for the safe collection, transport and storage of biological samples for extended periods at ambient temperature, while maintaining the integrity of the macromolecules of the sample for subsequent extraction, identification, and quantitation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.