Low profile, flat optical bottom, 0.1 ml clear polypropylene wells, clear polycarbonate frame, cut corner H1, working volume: <100 µl, total well capacity: 180 µl

We have now extended our FrameStar® range to include PCR plates with optically clear flat bottom wells for microscopy applications.

The FrameStar® 96 Well Skirted Optical Bottom PCR Plates (next to their counterpart within our Random Access range, 4ti-0970/RA) are currently unique in the market, being suitable for use in both microscopy and PCR. Optical bottom plates are ideal for applications requiring single cell sorting followed by molecular biology techniques such as (q)PCR and sequencing.

The flat bottoms enable excellent stackability, making these plates well suited for small sample volume storage such as compound libraries, with no risk of damaging the seal of the plate below. Additionally, the small well volume enables excellent sample recovery.

The low profile wells of this plate are shorter than "standard" profile wells, which decreases the "dead space" between the heated lid of the thermal cycler and the reagents in the well. This reduces condensation forming on the side wall of the tubes, moderating changes in PCR volume and increasing the efficiency of the reaction. This is especially recommended for reaction volumes below 20 µl.

The rigid polycarbonate skirt of this design eliminates warping and distortion during PCR, and makes it ideal for use with robotic systems.

Figure 1 illustrates the differences in tube format between the standard conical PCR tube and the flat bottom tubes. The surface area of the optical base is 7.74 mm2, with a thickness of 0.5 mm. The total volume of a conical well is 0.2 ml compared to 0.18 ml for flat bottom tubes.

The primary target application for optical bottom plates is assays that require the use of microscopy, for example, work with single cells including fluorescent imaging and cell sorting.

Technical Specifications

Barcoding

This plate is available with linear Code 128-format barcodes to aid identification and traceability of your samples. To order your plates with barcodes, simply add /SBC to the end of the ordering code for Standard Single Barcoding, /DBC for Standard Double Barcoding, /TBC for Standard Triple Barcoding, or /QBC for Standard Quadruple Barcoding (see Barcoding for more details).

_{FrameStar® is covered by one or more of the following US patents or their foreign counterparts, owned by Eppendorf AG: US Patent Nos. 7,347, 977 and 6,340,589. FrameStar® is a registeredtrademark owned by 4titude®Ltd}