Durable, compact, sensitive optics section. Each well of the MiniOpticon system is illuminated by its own blue-green light-emitting diode (LED). The 48 LEDs fire in rapid sequence, illuminating a single sample at a time, while a Fresnel lens focuses each beam directly down into the center of the corresponding well, minimizing light loss. Emitted fluorescence is split into two beams that pass through separate filters to two sensitive photodiodes. Every well in the plate is read with high sensitivity and minimal cross talk.

Maximize Reaction Efficiency and Increase Accuracy of Quantitation
Selecting the optimal annealing temperature for your oligo reduces amplification of nonspecific products. The thermal gradient feature of the MJ Mini cycler with the MiniOpticon system makes finding the optimal temperature easy, by allowing you to program a temperature gradient across the sample block for any incubation step. After analysis of PCR products, use the gradient calculator to see which temperature yielded the best results. Simply enter the temperature range, and the calculator displays the exact temperature at which each sample was run. With thermal gradient technology, your PCR reactions can be optimized in a single experiment.

For any incubation step in your PCR protocol, you can simultaneously incubate samples at up to eight temperatures with a range of 1–16°C. This makes finding the appropriate temperature easy and allows you to optimize your PCR reactions in a single experiment.

Uniform results. Analysis of 48 replicate 25 µL PCR samples with a C_T ±0.13 SD. This high degree of uniformity, made possible by combining an innovative optical system with the high performance of the MJ Mini thermal cycler, ensures reliable and reproducible results from sample to sample and experiment to experiment. RFU, relative fluorescence units.

Linearity and dynamic range. The MiniOpticon system has demonstrated ten orders of dynamic range and is capable of detecting single copy target molecules. An example 25 µL FAM and HEX linearity experiment is illustrated in the figure above. Two plasmid DNA targets were diluted sixfold to create a dilution series and detected using hydrolysis probes. Multiple targets can be compared simultaneously on the same plot using CFX Manager software. The Standard Curve plot above shows the data set for both targets plotted on a semilog graph with efficiency values automatically calculated and reported below the graph.

The MiniOpticon real-time PCR detection system, built on the MJ Mini cycler, is one of the smallest real-time PCR detection systems available. The 48-well MiniOpticon system contains a powerful high-performance cycler that offers thermal gradient technology, so you can optimize reactions for maximum efficiency and accurate quantitation. Now, the most advanced real-time PCR techniques are available to the individual researcher.

This guidebook is a comprehensive source of information on real-time PCR. Complete with detailed information on optimizing, validating, and analyzing real-time PCR data, this technically focused applications guide is a resource for experienced researchers as well as those wanting to learn more about using real-time PCR for applications such as qPCR, RT-qPCR, genotyping, and GMO detection. This guidebook includes chapters that cover:

• Key concepts of real-time PCR
• Getting started — experimental design
• Multiplexing considerations
• Data analysis
• Gene expression analysis
• Genotyping allelic discrimination
• GMO detection

This guidebook comes with an easy-to-review real-time PCR quick guide to use at the bench. The quick guide covers the fundamentals of qPCR, design, optimization, and data analysis of qPCR experiments.