Two-Component Design for Superior Uniformity and Precise Handling
Hard-Shell PCR plates represent an innovative concept in PCR plate design. The skirt and deck are molded from a rigid thermostable polymer. This hard shell prevents the distortion and shrinkage that may occur when regular single-component polypropylene PCR plates are exposed to the high temperatures of thermal cycling or heat sealing. In a separate step, the thin-wall wells are molded of virgin polypropylene selected for low DNA binding. The footprint and well spacing of Hard-Shell skirted PCR plates meet ANSI/SBS microplate standards, and raised rims around each well allow tight sealing with a wide variety of sealing systems, including adhesive-, pressure-, and heat-sealing methods. Hard-Shell PCR plate attributes include:
- Superior stability and flatness due to a patented* 2-component design, allowing precise positioning for automation
- Extremely uniform wells that reduce well-to-well variability in optical assays, such as those performed in real-time PCR
- Thin wall for fast PCR
- Several plate styles that fit most thermal cyclers, real-time PCR detection systems, DNA sequencers, and plate readers
- Black lettering for easy well identification
- White-well option, which allows increased fluorescent signal strength
- Color-coded skirts with clear wells
- Low-cost, user-readable bar codes to enable convenient database tracking
- Free of DNase, RNase, and human DNA
To view an audio slide show that describes the benefits of Hard-Shell plates, download one of the files below (Windows users, right click the link; Mac users, control click the link).
Windows (.wmv) | Macintosh (.mov)
* 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.
