Extreme Uniform PCR Tubes, Strips and Plates

1. Virgin polypropylene

2. Uniform wall thickness and thin-wall caps

3. Extremely low evaporation grades

4. Optical grades on all caps for real-time PCR

5. Sealing bands, clever design

6. Work with only 5 µl volume

7. No detectable DNA, RNA, DNase, RNase and pyrogens

The BIOplastics (EU) Extreme Uniformity range of PCR disposables offers many unique features that distinguish it from any other comparable product in this market segment. It is truly the Gold Standard for PCR disposables.

BIOplastics takes pride in designing, developing and manufacturing EU products at the highest level. Since we are not just plastics disposables manufacturers, but also molecular biologists ourselves, we are aware of the demands for the applications in which our products are used. It is our driving force to make the most innovative and highest possible quality products, and solving our customers' PCR problems.

Uniform wall thickness is a necessity to ensure accurate temperature transfer across the tube-wall barrier, thus providing an even and very precise cycling reaction within the sample. In contrast with non-uniform tubes, strips or plates, the evaporation grade in EU products has been decreased dramatically. One of the main factors of influence on the evaporation, besides the cap-closure, is the non-uniformity of the thin-wall, since PP is not fully gas-tight. High evaporation effects the concentrations of the salts in the sample. This can influence the reaction events, even preventing it from being successful.

BIOplastics guarantees its thin-wall products to have an average wall thickness of 0.25 mm within narrow boundaries, within individual tubes, as well as between different tubes, tube-strips or plates. Another factor that influences evaporation grades is the surface area to which the gas-phase is exposed. Although most thermal cyclers nowadays, are equipped with heated lids, that prevent the main evaporation and condensation processes in the upper parts of a tube from happening, there is still a certain volume of the water in the gaseous phase. Low profile products exhibit a much better ratio between gaseous and liquid phase, thus bringing the chances of wall-leakage through the gaseous phase down. Some thermal cyclers do not have height adjustable heated lids, so an adaptor is needed in combination with low-profile products in these instruments.

Clever design and sealing bands around the cap closing areas provide a leak-free closure, especially in comparison with the closure of competitive tubes. In general, evaporation grades of EU products are below 4%, some even below 2%. There are no competitor products that can match this level of low evaporation and some of them show evaporation grades of up to 20% of the original volume. With BIOplastics EU products you simply work with volumes as low as 5 µl.

Tube-block contact angle and design issues

Measurements of the dimensions of different brands of cycler blocks show substantial differences in the internal contact angles of the wells. This means that a PCR tube, strip or plate, when placed in a block, will have a different fit. The development of PCR tubes during the last decade was no more than a miniaturisation of existing larger volume tubes (1.5 ml), and never took into account the internal shape of the thermal block holes. Furthermore, this internal shape is heavily influenced by differences in manufacturing techniques and the application of block coatings. BIOplastics has slightly modified the regular angle of PCR tubes to improve the surface contact in the blocks of all main brands of thermal cyclers. It goes without saying that a good block-tube contact is of vital importance for a good thermal cycling reaction. While for the lower part of PCR tubes, strips and plates it is important to have a thin-wall (uniform) wall, this is not relevant for the upper part of the tube, where there is either no sample volume, or it extends above the cycler block and makes no thermal contact at all. That is why we have chosen to make this part of the tube, strips and plates thick-walled, to decrease the amount of evaporation substantially.

Use of EU products in Real-Time PCR

Every EU product, from single tube to plate, is tested for use in Real-Time PCR applications. EU single tubes have optical, flat area caps, which enable fluorescent signals to pass through to the optical detection unit of the thermal cycler. For the closure of EU strips and plates, special, glass-grade, optical cap-strips were designed to exhibit superior detection. In contrast with seals for optical purposes, these cap-strips do not have the disadvantage of adhesives that can interfere with the signals. All EU products are available in white or black versions. Test show significant decreases in background when using these

non-transparent versions, compared to natural transparent ones.

Extreme Uinform Eight Tubes and Caps

The low profile EU strip of 8 tubes is famous for its extremely low evaporation grades of around 1%. The high profile EU strips perform only slightly worse with 2-3% evaporation. All types of EU strips exhibit high impact resistance walls, to prevent cracking during handling. The glass-grade optical area of the accompanying 8-cap-strips is the ideal means to cope with Real-Time PCR signals. It is also the only

thin-wall cap available in the marketplace. The 8-cap strips fit both high and low profile 8-strips, but also the EU plates. The EU high profile strip with single attached caps does not need a special means for closure. The caps are already attached to every single tube of this strip, so that they can be opened individually.

All the EU strips already have a visible orientation because of the small holes on both ends, preventing the mixing up of samples by mistake.

Exteme UniformThin-wall 8-tube Strips:

EU 0.2 ml thin-wall 8-tube strip (classic), New

This high profile 8-tube strip combines all the EU advantages with the classical 8-tube PCR strip shape. This strip can be can be used virtually in any 0.2 ml block regular and Real-Time thermal cyclers (seePCRandReal-time PCRcompatibility charts).

Like all other high profile EU tubes and strips, this strip can be fixated in the EU Matrix (165051), or in the PCR Click & Go System (165050) for simultaneous use in thermal cycling applications.

Closure can be accomplished with EU optical, flat cap thin-wall 8-cap strips (B79701) or with the EU optical, semi-dome 8-cap strips (C79701).
 

EU 0.2 ml thin-wall 8-tube strip (low profile)

Can be used in all 0.2 ml block regular and real-time thermal cyclers. For use in ABI/PE and BIOrad instruments with or without optical units the EU adaptor (B77777 or B77778) is needed to ensure good closure of the EU low profile 8-strips. Closure must be accomplished with EU optical thin-wall 8-cap strips (B79701).

EU 0.2 ml thin-wall 8-tube strip (high profile)

Can be used in all 0.2 ml block regular and real-time thermal cyclers. Closure must be accomplished with EU optical thin-wall 8-cap strips (B79701).

EU 0.2 ml optical thin-wall 8-cap strip, flat top

For closure of 0.2 ml EU high profile (B79901 series) and low profile (B79601 series). 8-tube strips and EU plates

EU 0.2 ml optical thin-wall 8-cap strip, semi-domed
This semi-dome shaped cap still allows for Real-Time experiments because of its optical flat, parallel area on top.

For closure of 0.2 ml EU high-profile (C79601 and B79901 series) and low-profile (B79601 series) 8-tube strips and 96-wells EU plates.

EU0.2ml thin-wall 8 tube strip with single attached optical caps (high profile)

Can be used in all 0.2 ml block regular and real-time thermal cyclers.  Caps of the tubes in the strip can be opened and closed separately.