New Roche LightCycler 480 Hard-Shell^® Plate That Does Not Warp During Thermal Cycling

Bio-Rad introduces new Hard-Shell 96-well 480 PCR plates for optimal performance in the Roche LightCycler 480 real-time PCR system. Bio-Rad scientists and engineers developed this premium microplate with precise dimensions for optimal performance in the LC480. The highly uniform thin walls facilitate efficient heat transfer during thermal cycling, helping ensure reliable qPCR data.

Simple polypropylene PCR plates often warp and distort during thermal cycling. The patented two-component Hard-Shell technology of these new plates prevents warping and aids compatibility with various automation systems (Figure 1). These Hard-Shell 480 plates are also designed with black alphanumeric lettering for easy sample loading and bar coded for sample tracking.

During plate development, the Bio-Rad validation team tested microplate compatibility with both Microseal ‘B’ adhesive optical seal and Microseal ‘C’ optical seal. These optical sealing films help prevent sample evaporation and can be used in PCR applications. The Microseal ‘B’ seal has an aggressive adhesive layer, which ensures tight sealing during real-time PCR. The Microseal ‘C’ seal has a pressure-sensitive adhesive that is easy to work with because it will not stick to gloves (Figure 2).

Fig. 1. The unique design withstands the stresses of thermal cycling. The two-component design provides superior stability and flatness.

Fig. 2. Microseal ‘B’ and Microseal ‘C’ seals that have been validated with the new Hard-Shell 96-well 480 plate. When used with the new Hard-Shell 96-well 480 plate, these optically clear adhesive seals help prevent sample evaporation in the LC480.

Bio-Rad offers an array of Hard Shell plates for many thermal cyclers, including a Hard-Shell 384-well 480 plate for the LC480. Each plate is rigorously validated to confirm compatibility with the desired instruments. Benefits of the Hard-Shell plates include:

• Superior stability and flatness
• Extremely uniform wells that reduce well-to-well variability in optical assays such as those used in real-time PCR
• Thin walls for fast PCR
• White-well option, which allows increased fluorescent signal strength
• Low-cost, user-readable bar codes to enable convenient database tracking
• Free of DNase, RNase, and human DNA

For more information, see www.bio-rad.com/96wellplates.

Ordering Information

Notice regarding Bio-Rad thermal cyclers and real-time systems:
Purchase of these instruments conveys a limited non-transferable immunity from suit for the purchaser’s own internal research and development and for use in human in vitro diagnostics and all other applied fields under U.S. Patent Number 5,475,610 (Claims 1, 44, 158, 160–163, and 167 only), or corresponding claims in its non-U.S. counterpart, owned by Applera Corporation. No right is conveyed expressly, by implication, or by estoppel under any other patent claim, such as claims to apparatus, reagents, kits, or methods such as 5′ nuclease methods. Further information on purchasing licenses may be obtained by contacting the Director of Licensing, Applied Biosystems, 850 Lincoln Centre Drive, Foster City, California 94404, USA. Bio-Rad’s real-time thermal cyclers are licensed real-time thermal cyclers under Applera’s U.S. Patent Number 6,814,934 B1 for use in research, human in vitro diagnostics, and all other fields except veterinary diagnostics. Bio-Rad’s thermal cyclers and real-time thermal cyclers are covered by one or more of the following U.S. patents or their foreign counterparts owned by Eppendorf AG: U.S. Patent Numbers 6,767,512 and 7,074,367. Hard-Shell plates are covered by one or more of the following U.S. patents or their foreign counterparts owned by Eppendorf AG: U.S. Patent Numbers 7,347,977; 6,340,589; and 6,528,302. LightCycler is a trademark of Roche Diagnostics GmbH. LightScanner is a trademark of Idaho Technology Inc. Mastercycler is a trademark of Eppendorf AG. Veriti is a trademark of Applera Corporation. ViiA is a trademark of Life Technologies Corporation.