A nucleic acid amplification method, said method comprising: forming an enrichment culture by contacting a sample with a nutrient medium having a formulation that does not include a phosphate buffer component, wherein the nutrient medium comprises a first buffer; holding the enrichment culture for a period of time at a temperature that facilitates growth of a target microorganism; after holding the enrichment culture, forming an aqueous composition by mixing a first volume of the enrichment culture with a second volume of a lysis buffer to form a third volume of the aqueous composition; wherein mixing the first volume of the enrichment culture with the second volume of the lysis buffer comprises mixing an undiluted first volume of the enrichment culture with the second volume of the lysis buffer; wherein the lysis buffer comprises a second buffer; wherein the lysis buffer comprises an organic multivalent cation-chelating reagent, wherein the organic multivalent cation-chelating reagent has a first affinity constant greater than or equal to 10 4.2 with respect to ferric iron and a second affinity constant less than 10 3.8 with respect to magnesium, wherein the first affinity constant and the second affinity constant are determined in 20° C deionized water at pH 8.45; wherein the lysis buffer has a pH greater than 8.6 at 25° C; wherein the aqueous composition has a pH of 8.45 to 8.85 at 25° C; wherein a combined concentration of the first buffer and the second buffer in the aqueous composition is at least 15 mM; wherein a ratio of the first volume to the second volume is greater than or equal to 3:1 and the ratio of the second volume to the third volume is less than or equal to 1:4; contacting the aqueous composition with an effective amount of a water-insoluble material that sequesters a substance that interferes with a polymerase-mediated nucleic acid amplification reaction; subjecting the aqueous composition to a thermal lysis process; and after subjecting the aqueous composition to the thermal lysis process, subjecting a portion of the aqueous composition to a nucleic acid amplification process. forming an enrichment culture by contacting a sample with a nutrient medium having a formulation that does not include a phosphate buffer component, wherein the nutrient medium comprises a first buffer; holding the enrichment culture for a period of time at a temperature that facilitates growth of a target microorganism; after holding the enrichment culture, forming an aqueous composition by mixing a first volume of the enrichment culture with a second volume of a lysis buffer to form a third volume of the aqueous composition; wherein mixing the first volume of the enrichment culture with the second volume of the lysis buffer comprises mixing an undiluted first volume of the enrichment culture with the second volume of the lysis buffer; wherein the lysis buffer comprises a second buffer; wherein the lysis buffer comprises an organic multivalent cation-chelating reagent, wherein the organic multivalent cation-chelating reagent has a first affinity constant greater than or equal to 10 4.2 with respect to ferric iron and a second affinity constant less than 10 3.8 with respect to magnesium, wherein the first affinity constant and the second affinity constant are determined in 20° C deionized water at pH 8.45; wherein the lysis buffer has a pH greater than 8.6 at 25° C; wherein the aqueous composition has a pH of 8.45 to 8.85 at 25° C; wherein a combined concentration of the first buffer and the second buffer in the aqueous composition is at least 15 mM; wherein a ratio of the first volume to the second volume is greater than or equal to 3:1 and the ratio of the second volume to the third volume is less than or equal to 1:4; wherein mixing the first volume of the enrichment culture with the second volume of the lysis buffer comprises mixing an undiluted first volume of the enrichment culture with the second volume of the lysis buffer; wherein the lysis buffer comprises a second buffer; wherein the lysis buffer comprises an organic multivalent cation-chelating reagent, wherein the organic multivalent cation-chelating reagent has a first affinity constant greater than or equal to 10 4.2 with respect to ferric iron and a second affinity constant less than 10 3.8 with respect to magnesium, wherein the first affinity constant and the second affinity constant are determined in 20° C deionized water at pH 8.45; wherein the lysis buffer has a pH greater than 8.6 at 25° C; wherein the aqueous composition has a pH of 8.45 to 8.85 at 25° C; wherein a combined concentration of the first buffer and the second buffer in the aqueous composition is at least 15 mM; wherein a ratio of the first volume to the second volume is greater than or equal to 3:1 and the ratio of the second volume to the third volume is less than or equal to 1:4; contacting the aqueous composition with an effective amount of a water-insoluble material that sequesters a substance that interferes with a polymerase-mediated nucleic acid amplification reaction; subjecting the aqueous composition to a thermal lysis process; and after subjecting the aqueous composition to the thermal lysis process, subjecting a portion of the aqueous composition to a nucleic acid amplification process.