Adhesive films and foils are two of the most common options for sealing PCR plates. Standard adhesive sealing films and foils are excellent for endpoint PCR and can be used for general plate storage. Sealing foils can also be used with highly sensitive samples and can be pierced with a pipette tip. Optical adhesive films are the optimal solution for qPCR and can help ensure consistent real-time PCR data. PCR strip caps can also be used for sealing a limited number of wells on a PCR plate.
Adhesive PCR plate seals by Thermo Scientific
PCR films and foils are used to securely seal the plates to help prevent sample evaporation during thermal cycling or storage. Evaporation may produce inaccurate results as it alters the pH of the reaction mixture and enzymatic function. We offer clear polymer films and aluminum films.
- Clear films used in qPCR applications must be of high optical clarity for reliable data collection (Figure 1A).
- Aluminum films are excellent for light-sensitive samples and are pierceable for sample transfer in PCR (Figure 1B).
Figure 1. Types of adhesive seals for PCR and qPCR plates.
Table 1. Adhesive plate seals
Cap strips are used to seal multiple tubes simultaneously. The caps are generally available in strips of 8 or 12 and may be domed, flat, mats, or ultra clear. The tube strips and cap strips are available as 8 or 12 strips. The strip tubes and strip caps are available separately or packaged together.
PCR tube racks
PCR tube and plate racks provide support during heat sealing and dispensing samples and reagents. Tube racks with lids serve storage purposes (Table 2).
Table 2. Adhesive plate seals
Cap-It tool and applicator
In addition to the PCR tube and plate rack, the Cap-IT tool and applicator are commonly used in conjunction with PCR plastics consumables.
- The Cap-It Tool helps to secure domed caps to tube strips and plates. Additionally, the Cap-It tool is advantageous in that they allow for the simultaneous sealing of multiple tubes.
- The Adhesive Seal Applicator helps effectively seal adhesive seals to PCR and qPCR plates.
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