© Thermo Hybaid. Issue 1.0, January 2002
62
Reusability of the OmniSeal TD Mats
The OmniSeal TD Mat can be reused at least 5 times. Repeated washing and autoclaving of the Mats
causes them to crack around the edges. When this starts to happen, they should be discarded.
NB:
The number of times an OmniSeal TD Mat can be reused is reduced considerably if it is
cleaned with alcohols or detergents, or if exposed to UV irradiation.
Limitation of Microtitre Plate Operations
Some users have reported loss of volume when using microtitre plates for thermal cycling. Recent
experiments performed at Thermo Hybaid have demonstrated that volume loss is independent of
sample volume and occurs through the sides of the polycarbonate microtitre plate (all manufacturer
plates tested) and is not due to poor sealing. Typically volume loss of 3µl per well in a 30-cycle
reaction can be expected.
The Thermo Hybaid OmniUltra helps to address this problem to some extent. In our tests reaction
volumes of 10
µ
l gave strong results. 5
µ
l reaction volumes gave visible but faint results thus 10
µ
l is the
minimum recommended sample volume for this plate.
This is because this plate is injection moulded which results in absolute well to well and plate to plate
consistency. The well wall thickness of conventional vacuum moulded plates is inconsistent resulting in
highly porous patches which allow large amounts of sample to pass through.
If you are working with sample volumes of less than 10
µ
l and are using the OmniUltra, it may be
advisable to switch to polypropylene consumables instead. For polycarbonate plates supplied by other
manufacturers a minimum sample volume of 25
µ
l should be observed to ensure adequate sample
remains after PCR.
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