Streck establishes partnership with Ceres Nanosciences to distribute COVID-19 wastewater surveillance solution

La Vista, NE –Streck is pleased to announce the partnership with Ceres Nanosciences to distribute Nanotrap® Magnetic Virus Particles that provide rapid viral concentration directly from raw sewage. This product dramatically reduces the time and effort required to test wastewater samples for COVID-19 surveillance.

Wastewater surveillance can act as an early-warning system for COVID-19 “hotspots” within a community. The Ceres Nanotrap Magnetic Virus Particles facilitate a streamlined workflow, improved sensitivity, and reduced time to results. Nanotrap Magnetic Virus Particles are For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Traditional methods for concentration of virus from wastewater are time intensive and require materials suffering from supply chain deficits or instrumentation that takes hours to produce samples ready for downstream analysis. The Nanotrap Magnetic Virus Particles circumvent these restraints, significantly reducing the time and effort required to process wastewater samples. The particles are compatible with many commercially available RNA extraction kits and detection methods, including reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), reverse transcription-droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR), and viral genome sequencing. Wastewater testing methods powered by the Nanotrap Particles enable wastewater-based epidemiology at multiple levels in a community, including at the building level, at the neighborhood’s sewer shed level, and at the wastewater treatment plant level.

“Our customers have processed tens of thousands of samples from college dorms, K-12 schools, sleepaway camps, government facilities, and wastewater treatment plants,” said Ben Lepene, Chief Technology Officer at Ceres Nanosciences. “A recent study by one of our university customers showed that 85% of the individual COVID-19 cases on campus were preceded by positive wastewater results.” 

The Ceres products are a natural fit for distribution by Streck since both companies share an innovative and dynamic approach to providing solutions to the healthcare community. “Streck is pleased to enter this market with a trusted partner that has forged the way and proven success in a rapidly evolving field,” said Matthew Kreifels, Vice President of Sales and Business Development. “We are excited to take this powerful epidemiological surveillance tool and make it available to labs worldwide.”

About Streck, Inc.

Established in 1971, Streck develops and manufactures products in hematology, immunology, molecular diagnostics, cell stabilization, infectious diseases, and urinalysis for clinical and research laboratories. Streck’s passion for innovation, quality and service are what makes the organization a world leader in the development of quality control and diagnostic products helping laboratories ensure accurate and timely results for patients.