Thermo Fisher Scientific today announced the global launch of Thermo Scientific™ InstaFlux™, an integrated media-on-demand enrichment workflow that helps food microbiology laboratories simplify media preparation, improve productivity and enhance sample traceability.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260724127989/en/
Thermo Scientific™ InstaFlux™ offers media-on-demand workflow designed to help food testing laboratories simplify media preparation and support traceable enrichment workflows
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 2 The InstaFlux workflow enables laboratories to prepare media on demand in less than 30 minutes* and supports a simplified process to sample incubation. 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. Rather than preparing and storing large batches of enrichment media, laboratories can prepare only the media they need when they need it.
Unlike traditional batch-based media preparation, which often requires advance planning, autoclaving, bottle handling and media storage, Thermo Scientific InstaFlux enables laboratories to 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, including:
- Media on demand: Helps laboratories prepare enrichment media when needed, reducing reliance on manual, batch-based preparation.
- 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.
- Sustainability and operator safety: Helps reduce packaging, plastic waste, water use, energy consumption and manual handling compared with conventional media and sample preparation workflows.
InstaFlux is designed for high- and mid-throughput food microbiology laboratories, including contract testing laboratories and food manufacturers seeking to improve throughput, standardize workflows across sites and reduce the operational burden associated with traditional media preparation. 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.
Laboratories interested in learning more about Thermo Scientific InstaFlux or requesting a demonstration should contact their Thermo Fisher representative, visit www.thermofisher.com/instaflux or visit booth 200 at the upcoming International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Conference from July 26 – 29, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Thermo Scientific InstaFlux?
Thermo Scientific InstaFlux is an integrated enrichment workflow for food microbiology laboratories that combines concentrated sterile media, sterile water supply, automated gravimetric dispensing and digital traceability.
Who is it designed for?
It is designed for food microbiology laboratories, including contract testing labs, food manufacturers, quality managers, lab managers and operations leaders managing high- or mid-throughput sample preparation workflows.
What problem does InstaFlux help solve?
InstaFlux helps reduce the manual burden of conventional media preparation, including weighing, mixing, autoclaving, bottle handling, quality control and cleanup.
How does InstaFlux differ from traditional media preparation?
Unlike conventional batch-based media preparation, InstaFlux enables laboratories to prepare enrichment media on demand. This can help reduce preparation time, simplify workflows and improve operational flexibility while maintaining gravimetric dispensing in validated laboratory workflows.
What applications is InstaFlux designed to support?
InstaFlux is designed for food microbiology enrichment workflows, including routine foodborne pathogen testing for organisms such as Salmonella and Listeria, as well as environmental monitoring applications.
Is InstaFlux Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)-ready?
Yes. InstaFlux supports barcode-driven workflows and digital records, with data-integration capabilities for compatible LIMS environments. Compatibility should be confirmed for each laboratory’s LIMS configuration.
What sample sizes does InstaFlux support?
InstaFlux currently supports gravimetric accuracy across 10 g to 125 g workflows. Further developments are planned.
*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.
Availability of products in each country depends on local regulatory marketing authorization status.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue over $45 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them.
Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.
1 Technology Networks Applied Sciences Blog
2 Labware Blog on Contract Testing
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260724127989/en/
Media gallery
