New Products - The Scientist - January 20, 1997

For Detecting Pathogen-Specific PCR Products The DNA Catcher Plate System includes a line of 96-well oligo plate assays for the detection of pathogen-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. Kits include HIV, HBV, HCV, HCMV, HSV, VZV, HHV-6, Borrelia burgdorferi, and custom applications. The company's method for attaching a high-density capture probe to a 96-well microtiter plate allows single-copy detection of amplified DNA in a reverse dot blot format. Amplification of the target is performed by using biotinylated primers included in the kit. The amplified product is transferred directly to the plate, followed by a 30-minute hybridization. Streptavidin conjugate is then added for 10 minutes and the plate is developed with TMB substrate. The plates can be read on a standard plate reader. Synthetic Genetics San Diego, CA The new line is available in a variety of platform sizes and load capacities. Users can choose from five specific motions: vibrating, orbital, reciprocal, rocking, and wave. The Series 100 Shakers are designed for smaller loads (up to 4.4 pounds) and offer a shaking frequency of up to 2,500 rpm. The Series 1000 Shakers have an 11" x 10" non-skid rubber platform, a maximum load of 11 pounds, and up to 500 rpm shaking frequency. An incubator system is available for this model, consisting of a two-part hood and heating module. The incubator's temperature control can be set from 5°C above room temperature up to 65°C; an electronic display indicates set and actual temperature. The Series 3000 Shakers accommodate a maximum load of 23 pounds. Platforms can be tiered for higher capacity with minimal benchtop space. Brinkmann Instruments Inc. Westbury, NY The new generation of AFS Analyzer Feed Systems produces water that meets NCCLS and CAP Type I and Type II specifications from tap water. It features a Pretreatment Pack that uses activated carbon and particulate prefiltration to remove contaminants from tap water and extend the life of the reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. The pack has an anti-scalant, which prevents RO membrane scaling and virtually eliminates the need for a softener as pretreatment, according to the company. A thin-film composite RO membrane reportedly removes nearly all ionic contaminants, organic contaminants in excess of 100 molecular weight, and colloidal silica from water. The AFSPAK Purification Pack uses nuclear-grade, ion-exchange resin to remove remaining traces of inorganics. Dissolved gases from product water are removed by an optional degasser. Automatic recirculation of water between uses as well as periodic flushes of the RO membrane are claimed to minimize bacterial contamination. A Millipak Final Filter removes bacteria from purified product water. The systems are controlled by a microprocessor, which allows for monitoring of system operation and water quality via screen displays. Millipore Corp. Bedford, MA Debuts From Molecular Devices The fmax Fluorescence Microplate System consists of a fluorescence microplate reader and the company's SOFTmax Pro software. The system is claimed to be capable of reading 96 wells in 25 seconds, making it suitable for kinetic applications as well as more common end-point methods. The semi-confocal optical design can be configured for either top-down or bottom-up reading. In the bottom-up configuration, the reader is suitable for applications in which fluorescent probes are bound directly to cell mono-layers. An optional incubator is available to keep cell cultures at required temperatures while in the reader. The software package provides calculation capabilities as well as graphics and text-processing applications. Users can generate complete reports that include data spreadsheets, graphic presentations, and written text without the need for data export. The software is available for both Macintosh and Windows 95 operating systems. Molecular Devices Corp. Sunnyvale, CA The large-capacity mixer is designed to allow for a variety of mixing applications in a single unit, ranging from gentle orbital shaking to vigorous vortexing. The interchangeable cartridge system enables users to switch among a variety of vessels, including microcentrifuge tubes, petri dishes, and Erlenmeyer flasks. Custom cartridges can be designed for special needs. A variable speed control delivers a speed range of 0 to 1,500 rpm. A pulsing feature can be used to interrupt mixing action in order to better join upper and lower strata. Glas-Col Terre Haute, IN The Automatic Self-Zeroing Glass Burettes are available in four sizes-10 ml, 15 ml, 25 ml, and 50 ml. They provide automatic self-zeroing and reportedly ensure that media will not be contaminated by external elements. The bottles, screw caps, and round bases are all made from polyethylene for chemical resistance. The burettes feature blue gradations against a white background for easier reading. The delivery end is fitted into a plastic push-button stopcock to permit drop-by-drop delivery. Bel-Art Products Pequannock, NJ The Graduated Vial is designed to enable chromatographers to fill sample vials to consistent levels and more easily determine sample volumes. The vial is available in a 12 mm x 32 mm (2 ml) size. The vial patch has three graduation markings for samples of .5 ml, 1 ml, and 1.5 ml. Patches and graduations are offered in red, blue, green, yellow, or white. The new vial is available in all types of neck finishes, including snap seal, snap ring, crimp top, and screw top. It is manufactured from borosilicate glass, either clear or amber Type 1. J.G. Finneran Associates Inc. Vineland, NJ The Leica ST 5050 autoimmunostainer features a pipettor system that delivers precise amounts of reagent onto user-defined slide positions. Up to 20 different primary antibodies and up to 16 additional reagents can be used per run. The temperature can be flexibly controlled from ambient up to 45°C. Washing parameters, including number of rinses and incubation times, can be programmed. The cleaning of the pipettor system prior to any reagent change can also be adjusted in intensity, which reportedly avoids cross-contamination of reagents and safeguards reliable staining results. The software-controlled instrument enables users to run multiple programs simultaneously in any combination, including selectable spray positions. An integral printer port allows the documentation of all program and staining pa-rameters, including staining protocols. Leica Inc. Deerfield, IL The Spectroline model Q-22 is an ultraviolet (uv) and white light magnifier lamp intended for a range of fluorescence analysis applications. It has a built-in 2" x 4" high-resolution magnifier lens that provides three-power magnification at an 8" focal length. The lamp also contains two 4-watt, integrally filtered, long-wave UV tubes and two 4-watt white light tubes. Each wavelength has its own on/off switch. The lamp has a polycarbonate housing that encloses a specular aluminum reflector. A phenolic handle is attached to the housing by a friction-lock swivel joint. For hands-free operation, the lamp is available with either a pedestal stand or a pantographic spring-balanced flexible arm. The arm extends 36" and swings in a 360° arc. Users can select wall, bench, and table mounting brackets for the flexible arm. Spectronics Corp. Westbury, NY The Histone H3 DNA probe is designed for marking proliferating cells by in situ hybridization. In contrast to the nuclear expression of other cytochemical proliferation markers, the new probe labels the cytoplasms of proliferating cells. This permits the probe to be used in combination with nuclear markers for double staining applications, such as immunocytochemistry for nuclear proteins or DNA in situ hybridization with chromosome-specific probes. Histone expression can be detected in all mammalian species. The probe can be used on formalin- or methacarn-fixed tissue sections as well as cell preparations. DAKO Corp. Carpinteria, CA The Nano-Volumatic NVI-570A is designed to deliver 46 nanoliters per trigger but can be adapted to lesser or greater volumes with the use of a custom chip. The Nano-Volumetric NVI-570V provides volumes from 4.6 nanoliters to 73.6 nanoliters in 16 steps, which can be changed by the user. Special units have also been made available to inject volumes from 1.1 nanoliters to 1 microliter per trigger. An optional foot-control switch is also available. The injectors have a variety of research applications in toxicology, neuroscience, pharmacology, ophthalmology, and in vitro fertilization. Medical Systems Corp. Greenvale, NY The LumiCount is a microplate luminometer designed for reading sustained-glow luminescent assays from microwell plates. Applications include luminescent immunoassays, reporter gene assays, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantitation, and cytoproliferation. The instrument works in conjunction with the company's LucLite luciferase reporter gene kit and the CytoLite cell proliferation kit. It uses digital photon integration to fine-tune sensitivity to the light levels of each particular assay. A heated plate holder allows temperatures to be controlled by software over a range from ambient to 40°C. The instrument is supplied with PlateReader for Windows and I-Smart data-analysis software. Packard Instrument Co. Meriden, CT The Beacon 2000 Variable-Temperature Fluorescence Polarization System is designed to measure equilibrium binding or molecular degradation for a wide variety of biological molecules. It reportedly measures as little as 10 femtomoles per ml of fluorescently labeled sample, enabling users to determine equilibrium binding constants (Kd) in the low picomolar range. The system provides variable temperature control of the sample from 6°C to 65°C. Its low-volume capability, requiring only 100 ml of sample, is helpful when the amount of protein or other binding partner needs to be conserved. External filter holders allow for the interchange of alternative wavelength filters, making the use of different fluorophores easier. The system is suitable for a range of applications, including protein-DNA and protein-protein binding measurements, enzyme and drug screening assays, and total and sequence-specific DNA quantitation. PanVera Corp. Madison, WI The VorTemp 56 Shaking Incubator can heat samples up to 99°C while simultaneously shaking them at speeds up to 1,200 rpm. Speed, temperature, and rate of acceleration are microprocessor-controlled. All parameters can be viewed on a large digital display. Platforms are supplied for 56 x 1.5 ml tubes and four microplates. Smaller tubes can be accommodated through the use of adapters that are sold separately. National Labnet Co. Woodbridge, NJ

New Products - The Scientist - January 20, 1997

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