Bibby Scientific now has an addition to the Techne range of personal thermal cyclers - the expanded capacity TC-3000X. With a highly successful half-century track record in the design and manufacture of temperature control equipment, Bibby Scientific's world-leading Techne brand is synonymous with robust, reliable, reproducible DNA amplification.

The new TC-3000X has two interchangeable block options. The 6 x 8 format 48-well block can be used with 0.2 ml microtubes or, for greater ease of handling when higher throughput is required, Techne has introduced 24 and 48-well plates and 8-tube strips. Alternatively, the 30 x 0.5 ml block offers significantly greater capacity than the usual 12 or 20 tubes of this size. The defined pressure, heated lid of the TC-3000X is fully height-adjustable, giving researchers the widest possible choice of consumables.

Rob Skehens, Marketing Director, Bibby Scientific, puts the new Techne thermal cycler in context: 'With the increased use of PCR techniques, demand for higher throughput has grown and the traditional 25-tube capacity of personal thermal cyclers is no longer sufficient for many users. The TC-3000X not only fits a 48-well block for 0.2 ml tubes within the same small footprint as our lower capacity TC-3000 model, it is also unique among personal thermal cyclers in accommodating as many as 30 x 0.5 ml tubes. With two block types which are easily interchangeable, plus an adjustable lid enabling a multitude of different consumables to be used, the TC-3000X offers unrivalled versatility - and at low cost.'

The TC-3000X has exceptional block uniformity of less than ±0.2 °C at 50 °C, as well as the fastest heating rate of all 48-well cyclers in the market at 3.3 °C per second. Intuitive software with speed dial functionality facilitates fast program location and, utilising the USB connection, one standalone unit or up to 32 cyclers linked together can be controlled by Techne's free Gensoft PC software.