QIAGEN announced the extension of its eco-friendlier QIAwave product line with the addition of two new nucleic acid extraction kits: the QIAwave RNeasy Plus Mini Kit and QIAwave DNA/RNA Mini Kit, eco-friendlier versions of the RNeasy Plus Mini Kit and the All DNA/RNA Mini Kit.

The kits are designed to provide researchers with a more sustainable alternative to QIAGEN’s standard kits while maintaining the same high-quality performance with identical chemistry.

QIAwave kits use up to 62% less plastic and up to 58% less cardboard than QIAGEN’s most popular kits for extracting DNA, RNA and plasmid DNA from samples, making them a more sustainable choice for laboratories. The QIAwave product line is the first to use both recycled plastics and space-saving chemical concentrates. The products feature fewer components, waste tubes made from 100% recycled plastic, and suitable buffer concentrates in smaller bottles. More compact kits and new ways of packing them reduce the amount of cardboard needed for packaging.

“The launch of the new QIAwave kits not only expands our eco-friendlier product offerings but also reinforces our dedication to supporting researchers in their quest for scientific advancement while reducing their environmental footprint. At QIAGEN, we’re constantly striving to find innovative ways to combine high-quality performance with eco-friendlier solutions,” said Dr. Thomas Schweins, Senior Vice President and Head of QIAGEN’s Life Sciences Business Area.

Bryce Carpenter, Research Specialist, University of Pennsylvania, said: “QIAwave offers the same great results for less clutter and waste, with minimal effort. I can only imagine that the benefits and savings would be even greater on the scale of a full lab.”

A tool to calculate how much plastic and cardboard can be saved by using QIAwave kits as compared to other QIAGEN kits and more information on the QIAwave portfolio can be found here: https://www.qiagen.com/sustainability/environment/more-sustainable-products

The QIAwave RNeasy Plus Mini Kit is a new generation of RNA extraction that enables the isolation of high-purity and high-yield total RNA with an integrated gDNA removal from a wide range of cultured cells and easy-to-lyse tissues. The QIAwave DNA/RNA Mini Kit allows for simultaneous purification of genomic DNA and total RNA from each cell or tissue sample, with the purified DNA and RNA eluted separately.

The new additions to the QIAwave product line join the previously launched QIAwave RNA Mini Kit, QIAwave DNA Blood & Tissue Kit, and QIAwave Plasmid Miniprep Kit in QIAGEN’s growing portfolio of eco-friendlier solutions.

QIAGEN is aiming to reduce its plastic footprint, in particular by replacing expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes for cooled shipments with recyclable alternatives made of straw and other forms of plastic packaging with more eco-friendly alternatives. QIAGEN in 2022 reduced its plastic usage in transportation by 16.5%, nearly double the target for at least a 9% reduction.

Reducing its plastic footprint is just one aspect of QIAGEN’s sustainability initiatives. The company is one of only a few in the pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and biotechnology sector with a science-based net-zero target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, pledging to hit net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from 2020 as the base year. QIAGEN has been recognized by various rating agencies for its sustainability efforts, including a “Prime” status by ISS ESG and an A rating from MSCI ESG Research.