Thermal Cyclers for PCR

Thermal cyclers are essential laboratory equipment for researchers who run polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for sequencing, cloning, genotyping, mutagenesis, and many other applications. Common features of Bio-Rad's thermal cyclers include Peltier effect technology for precise temperature control, and thermal gradient to easily optimize PCR assays in a single run. Instruments include the PTC Tempo, the next generation of conventional thermal cyclers, T100™, a great choice for routine PCR, and the flexible 1000-series, which offers multiple block formats for increased throughput capabilities, and a dual 48/48-well unit that allows two independent experiments to run simultaneously.

Bio-Rad Thermal Cyclers

	PTC Tempo Thermal Cycler	C1000 Touch Thermal Cycler	S1000 Thermal Cycler	T100 Thermal Cycler
Overview	Premium performance on a modern platform. For demanding applications and multiple users.	High performance with flexibility and multiple block options. Can connect to an S1000 Thermal Cycler.	High performance with a keypad interface. Can connect to a C1000 Thermal Cycler.	Robust and economical for routine PCR with a compact footprint.
System Tour	Launch Tour	Launch Tour	Launch Tour	Launch Tour
Block formats	Faster ramping: 96-well: 0.2 ml Higher volume: 96–deep well: 0.2 and 0.5 ml Independent blocks: dual 48-well: 0.2 ml High throughput: 384-well	Independent blocks: dual 48-well: 0.2 ml Faster ramping: 96-well: 0.2 ml Higher volume: 96–deep well: 0.2 and 0.5 ml High throughput: 384-well	Independent blocks: dual 48-well: 0.2 ml Faster ramping: 96-well: 0.2 ml Higher volume: 96–deep well: 0.2 and 0.5 ml High throughput: 384-well	96-well: 0.2 ml high-profile
Recommended Sample Volume Range	96–well: 10–50 µl 96–deep well: 10–125 µl dual 48–well: 10–50 µl 384–well: 3–20 µl	dual 48–well: 10–50 µl 96–well: 10–50 µl 96–deep well: 10–125 µl 384–well: 3–30 µl	dual 48–well: 10–50 µl 96–well: 10–50 µl 96–deep well: 10–125 µl 384–well: 3–30 µl	96-well: 15–100 µl
PCR consumables	Both high and low-profile tubes and plates	Both high and low-profile tubes and plates	Both high and low-profile tubes and plates	Only high-profile tubes and plates
Real-time PCR compatibility	N/A	Upgrades to a CFX96 or CFX384 System	N/A	N/A
User interface	8" graphical touch screen	8.5" graphical touch screen	LCD panel and keypad	5.7" graphical touch screen
Performance	Accuracy: ±0.2°C Uniformity: ±0.4°C well-to-well within 10 sec Max ramp rate: up to 5°C/sec Temperature range: 4–100°C	Accuracy: ±0.2°C Uniformity: ±0.4°C well-to-well within 10 sec Max ramp rate: up to 5°C/sec Temperature range: 0–100°C	Accuracy: ±0.2°C Uniformity: ±0.4°C well-to-well within 10 sec Max ramp rate: up to 5°C/sec Temperature range: 0–100°C	Accuracy: ±0.5°C Uniformity: ±0.5°C well-to-well within 30 sec Max ramp rate: 4°C/sec Temperature range: 4–100°C
Size (W x D x H)	28 x 50 x 26 cm (11 x 20 x 10 in)	33 x 46 x 20 cm (13 x 18 x 8 in.)	33 x 46 x 20 cm (13 x 18 x 8 in.)	26 x 47 x 23 cm (10 x 18 x 9 in.)
Weight	96, Deepwell, 384 : 15 kg (33 lb) 48/48: 14 kg (31 lb)	10 kg (23 lb)	10 kg (23 lb)	9 kg (20 lb)
Connectivity	WiFi, BR.io, USB A 2.0, Ethernet, barcode scanner	Connect up to three S1000 Thermal Cyclers to every C1000 Touch Thermal Cycler	Connect up to three S1000 Thermal Cyclers to every C1000 Touch Thermal Cycler	N/A
Memory capacity	<100,000 protocols; unlimited with a USB drive	<1,000 protocols; unlimited with a USB drive	>1,000 protocols; unlimited with a USB drive	<500 protocols; unlimited with a USB drive
Documentation	User Manual Specifications	User Manual Specifications	User Manual Specifications	User Manual Specifications

Reagents and Plastics Selectors

Use our selectors to find the best reagents, plates, tubes, seals, and accessories for your PCR and qPCR experiments.

Go to Reagents Selector »Go to Plastics Selector »

Resources

Thermal Gradient for Easy Protocol Optimization

Learn about the advantages of thermal gradients on all of Bio-Rad's thermal cyclers and real-time PCR systems.
Importance of Quality PCR Plastics

Read about how quality PCR plastics indirectly influence sensitivity and reproducibility of your experiments.
Amplification Reagents and Plastics

(PDF 879 KB)
Download this brochure for an overview of all our PCR reagent and plastics offerings, specifications, performance data, and more.
PCR Plastics Instrument Compatibility

(PDF 6.1 MB)
Determine the compatibility of PCR consumables with thermal cycling and real-time detection PCR systems.

Applications & Technologies

What is PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

Learn about the proper design, optimization, analysis, and troubleshooting of polymerase chain reactions, as well as required PCR instrumentation and reagents.
PCR Instrumentation

Guidelines for selecting the right thermal cycler for your experiments.
Introduction to PCR Analysis

Learn about the different methods used to analyze products of PCR reactions.
PCR Troubleshooting

Find possible causes and treatments for common PCR problems.

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PCR Plastic Consumables

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Thermal Cyclers for PCR

On This Page

Bio-Rad Thermal Cyclers

Premium performance on a modern platform. For demanding applications and multiple users.

High performance with flexibility and multiple block options. Can connect to an S1000 Thermal Cycler.

High performance with a keypad interface. Can connect to a C1000 Thermal Cycler.

Robust and economical for routine PCR with a compact footprint.

Reagents and Plastics Selectors

Resources

Applications & Technologies

Related Products

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