Fluorescence Plate Reader
The SPECTRAmax GEMINI spectrofluorometer allows fast measurements of fluorescence, luminescence and time-resolved fluorescence in a plate format with temperature-controlled environment. Applicable for cellular and molecular binding studies, DNA or protein quantitation, drug screening, etc. The SPECTRAmax® GEMINI system offers a flexible, filter-free environment thus allows optimal excitation and emission settings in 1.0 nm increments. Optimal experimental settings can be determined for each assay by collecting both: excitation and emission spectra to find the optimal settings.
- great sensitivity for fluorescence intensity applications
- variable excitation and emission settings from 250 to 850 nm
- robotics-compatible format and interface
- SOFTmax® PRO software
- well-scanning for collecting multiple data points from the bottom of large area tissue culture plates
Schematics of optics setting:
No Filters Needed
The system uses two scanning monochromators to determine the optimal excitation and emission settings for the specific fluorophores you are using. When you need to change methods or fluorophores, it takes only a few software commands to adjust the system.
Flexible Microplate Format
The GEMINI system allows you to select from 6-, 12-, 24-, 48-, 96- and 384-well microplate formats for your fluorometric measurements.
SOFTmax PRO allows you to select excitation and emission values from the literature and simply input their values for the monochromator settings. If you don’t know the recommended wavelengths for the fluorophore of interest, you can easily scan both excitation and emission spectra and determine the optimal settings.
Performance Specifications
Wavelength Range - Excitation: 250-850 nm
Wavelength Range - Emission: 360-850 nm
Wavelength Selection: Monochromator, tunable 1.0 nm increments
Wavelength Bandwidth (Excitation and Emission): 9 nm
Wavelength Accuracy: < ± 2.0 nm
Top Read Sensitivity: 3.0 fmol/well FITC 200 µl in 96 wells
Bottom Read Sensitivity: 8.0 fmol/well FITC 200 µl in 96 wells
Light Source: Xenon flash lamp
Microplate Read Time:
Is related to the sensitivity setting, but for average experimental conditions:
96 wells. . . . ~ 60 seconds
384 wells. . . . ~180 seconds
Temperature Range: Ambient + 4 °C up to 45 °C
Temperature Uniformity (Microplate): ± 1 °C @ 37 °C
The Biophysical Resource at Keck Facility offers the fluorescence plate reader as an "open access" instrument that can be used by trained users. To schedule a training session please contact Ewa Folta-Stogniew.
The instrument is located in room 2131 at 300 George Street.
Basic "FL Plate Reader start up protocol" (print and bring along for the training session)
First time users of the resource please fill out the Biophysics Resource Usage Form* found in the box on the left, and email the completely filled usage form, with email Subject: "Biophysics Resource Usage," to Ewa Folta-Stogniew.
**Attention All Mac users using "Preview" instead of "Acrobat", please save PDFs as follows: 1. Under the "File" pulldown menu, Select "Print…" 2. Click "PDF" button in lower left hand corner of window. 3. In the pulldown menu Select "Save As PDF." 4. Save PDF.**