Main Squeeze: Whatman's Mini-UniPrep

Whatman's Mini-UniPrep

Companies are always on the lookout for that next product that will become the equivalent of the TV dinner for the lab. It usually begins with an observation: "If only I could ..." or "Wouldn't it be neat if they had ...." The prevailing psychology is that most of the simple devices have already been invented. Then along comes a product that rivals the paper clip in its simplicity and sends scientists into paroxysms of envy that they didn't think of it first. "Too trivial," they rationalize and return to sulking over their petri dishes.

Whatman's Mini-UniPrep is just such a product. The compact syringeless filter fulfills all the requirements for what could be the next best thing since sliced acrylamide: It's easy to use, it combines two or more procedures in one fluid movement, and it's made from inexpensive materials that make it both economical and disposable....