Speed is the key to three new Eppendorf products on show at Analytica 2008

Analytica 2008, the leading international trade fair for instrumental analysis, laboratory technology and biotechnology, sees the launch of three significant new products from Eppendorf AG. Preparation, spinning and detection are all faster, simpler and more efficient with Centrifuge 5430, epMotion Plug’n’Prep^® and BioPhotometer plus.

Centrifuge 5430 is a very fast, highly versatile microcentrifuge. With the facility to spin samples in Eppendorf Tubes at up to 30,130 x g (17,500 rpm) and a choice of eight different rotors also accommodating Falcon tubes, MTP and PCR plates, CryoTubes or spin columns, Centrifuge 5430 is the perfect tool for an impressively wide range of applications. Up to 50 routine programs can be stored and all menu options and program parameters are displayed on the large backlit LC display in a choice of languages: German, English, French or Spanish.

epMotion Plug’n’Prep^® technology is a completely new concept, offering pre-tested methods for walk-away DNA/RNA purification, with set-up time cut to less than an hour. Invitrogen, Promega, MACHEREY-NAGEL, Invitek and 5 PRIME have all developed, optimised and tested epMotion methods. Now users can simply select their preferred brand and type of extraction kit, download the pre-tested method from epMotion.com and transfer the method data file to the epMotion automated liquid handling system – no further adaptation is required.

Using epMotion with Plug’n’Prep^® protocols offers three main advantages for researchers: freedom to select any purification chemistry supplier; all methods are ready to go, saving time and money; superior nucleic acid yield and purity are assured as the Plug’n’Prep^® methods have been optimised in the kit suppliers’ own labs.

Building on the success of the UV/Vis BioPhotometer, the BioPhotometer plus from Eppendorf AG features a new keypad design, three additional wavelengths and the facility to use microlitre cells as well as cuvettes. This compact, low-weight photometer is very easy to operate, producing reliable, reproducible results fast.

TheBioPhotometer plus delivers instant access to 32 routine methods, of which nine are freely programmable, including measurement of DNA, RNA and protein concentration, enzyme assays and incorporation rate of fluorescent dyes. Both measurement and results calculation, including factoring in dilutions, are performed automatically at the push of a button for reliable results. Related methods are grouped for easy selection on the redesigned keypad, while differently coloured function keys reduce operator errors.

All three of these innovative Eppendorf products will be shown for the first time at Analytica: 1–4 April 2008, New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Area B1, Booth 305/404.