What is the difference between UTM, MTM and VTM virus transport media
Release time:
2021-01-06
virus transport media or sample preservation solution is a liquid medium added to the sampling tube. We often see three types in the sampling tube label: UTM, MTM, and VTM. Is there any difference between these types of preservation solutions?
Part of the reason why the three names appear is due to different usage habits in different regions and translation problems. There are even other names. Of course, there are some differences in the composition of their preservation solutions.
The most commonly used in China is VTM, that is, viral transport media or virus transport medium literally translated virus transport media, divided into two types, the inactivated type is marked as Inactivated, and the activated type is marked as activated.
The difference between UTM, MTM and VTM virus transport media
In some parts of foreign countries, both VTM and UTM refer to the virus preservation solution. The full name of UTM is universal transport media, which is literally translated as universal transport media. In the virus sampling tube, it refers to the virus transport media. Here VTM and UTM usually refer to non-inactivated preservation solutions. Some manufacturers, VTM is more targeted than UTM, specifically for the preservation and transportation of virus samples.
There is also a kind called MTM, the full name is molecular transport media, which is literally translated as molecular transport media. For the detection of new coronavirus samples, the molecule here refers to nucleic acid RNA. MTM refers to the inactivated virus preservation solution, which is suitable for the collection, storage and transportation of infectious disease samples. It is specifically designed to overcome the standard virus transport medium (VTM) and the universal transport medium (UTM) (these will not inactivate microorganisms, but also May be able to suppress the shortcomings of molecular testing).
MTM is specifically designed to safely inactivate pathogenic samples while preserving and stably releasing DNA and RNA. The lysis salt (guanidine hydrochloride, guanidine thiocyanate or others) in MTM can destroy the protective protein shell (capsid) of the virus, making the virus unable to infect again, but at the same time it retains the viral nucleic acid, which can be used for molecular diagnosis, sequencing and Nucleic acid amplification testing.
Although VTM or UTM cannot inactivate the virus, it can be used for virus surface antigen or antibody detection in addition to nucleic acid detection because it preserves the integrity of the virus. In fact, the inactivated or activated virus preservation solution does not say which is better. According to the requirements of different manufacturers' products and testing environment, Desheng can provide both preservation solutions.
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