One of the most common applications of a UV/Visible spectrophotometer is to measure the concentration of nucleic acids. Often there is very little sample available and the researcher may not wish to dilute it further in order give sufficient volume for measurement in a standard quartz cuvette. There are ultra-micro quartz cuvettes available which will allow as little as 20μl of sample to be measured directly, however they can be quite difficult to use to achieve reproducible results. An alternative, if the sample is of a sufficient concentration, is to use a TrayCell. The TrayCell is a fiber-optic, ultra-micro cell designed for measurements of extremely small sample volumes of DNA, RNA or protein. The dimensions of the TrayCell are equivalent to a standard cuvette and so will fit in all Jenway spectrophotometers. The TrayCell is extremely easy to use. It is first positioned in the cell holder of the spectrophotometer and the sample is then placed on an optical window on the surface of the cell. A cap containing a mirror is then fitted over the top. The type of cap used determines the path length through which the light passes. Click here to view entire PDF.
Michelle LongoAsst. Managing Editor
Striving Toward Secondary GoalsLate last month, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich stunned most everyone when he declared his promise that "by the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon." While I don’t fault Gingrich for dreaming and trying to set high standards and goals, I can’t help but think of the enormous amount of known and unknown variables that significantly deter this accomplishment...continue
