Block thermal cycler

Block thermal cyclers are based on a conventional 96-well-plate format in a metal block combined with either a laser-induced fluorescence system or a LED/halogen lamp-based optical excitation source. Due to the usual thermal block time-temperature profiles, the ramp rates for cooling and heating are approximately 1.5 to 3°C/s, which results in an overall time of about 2 h for a typical PCR run of 45 cycles. Due to the 96-well-plate format, the usual pipetting and equipment can be used. Of particular interest for food analysis, in which relative quantification is often used, the numbers of reactions per run are of great importance. Therefore, those types of machines may have an advantage over the machine types described below. 

Early PCR experiments were performed by manual or robotic transfer of reaction vials between water baths or heating blocks. These have been superseded by several generations of programmable thermal cyclers. Successful PCR amplifies a single or a few copies of a target sequence of DNA by many orders of magnitude. The process is described schematically in Figure 2.9. 

Heat the slides at 92°C for 1-2 min either in a Thermal Cycler or on a heat block in order to immobilize the signal. 

Place the covered slides on a PCR thermal cycler with slide blocks or a hybridization instrument. 

Place the reactions at 95°C for 35 min, preferably in a hot block or thermal cycler with a heated lid. 

Thermal cycler, heat blocks or water baths You can set up the thermal cycler for a 99 C hold. Set heat blocks or water baths at 98°C - 100°C before class begins. 

Thermal cycler grid If using thermal cycler as the heat block. 

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