The MSS (Molecular Sampling Solution) Swab Kit is designed to facilitate collection, inactivation and transport of patient specimens safely from the site of sampling to a laboratory location.
The kit consists of a versatile sterile swab* for specimen collection and a self-standing polypropylene tube with swab capture cap containing Molecular Sampling Solution (MSS) inactivating transport medium. MSS is designed to disrupt microorganisms (including viruses and bacteria), release nucleic acids, denature proteins, and destroy nucleases. This reduces the infection hazard during transport and laboratory processing, as well as preserving nucleic acids for identification by PCR or other nucleic acid techniques.
The stability of nucleic acids afforded by the MSS enables transport and storage in the 2-30°C range**.
Viral nucleic acids remain stable in MSS at room temperature for at least 14 days.

MSS (Molecular Sampling Solution)
The MSS formulation is buffered to help maintain pH and contains a buffering agent (Tris), a metal ion chelator (EDTA), a non-ionic surfactant, and a chaotropic agent (guanidine isothiocyanate) to ensure disruption of microorganisms, denaturation of proteins, release of nucleic acids, and inactivation of nucleases that may destroy target nucleic acids.
The resultant sample is suitable for target identification by PCR analysis as well as other nucleic acid techniques. SW0004 MSS Swab Kit cannot be used for cell culture-based diagnostic testing.