about qPCR plates sealing films - Axygen UC-500 vs. UC-200 (Aug/10/2009 )

Hello all,

I would like to know the differences between UC-200 and UC-500 sealing films for qPCR plates (Axygen).

I know what UC-500 are, but I am being offered UC-200, which cost about half the price, so I want to know if they are compatible with my system and if they are reliable.

I have yet not received answer from Axygen contact email, so I thought I'd ask here...

Thanks in advance.

Here is my advice (I am not familiar with Axygen sealing films): no matter which seal you choose, it is a very good idea to test it first before switching. In my experience, while it is very nice to find cheaper alternatives (that in paper are the same), many times the cheaper seal does not seal that well and you can get cross-contamination.

My two cents.

ivanbio on Aug 10 2009, 07:46 AM said:

Thanks for your input.

Actually, I am switching from cap-strips (I hate them so much), so I have never used UC-500.

If the price difference wasn't so large, I would go with what I know will work ok, but the price is exactly half... so it is an important difference for us.

Cap-strips are definitely a pain, although they cannot be beat as far as maximizing sample containment. There are sealing films that work just fine for most PCR applications, but others do not. How much do the Axygen sealing films cost? I use Applied Biosystems sealing film, which works great (and costs ~$110 per 100 films, including shipping). I tried ISC BioExpress sealing film (~$80 per 100 films) and unfortunately they simply do not work (you can see condensation forming between wells).

ivanbio on Aug 11 2009, 08:05 AM said:

In Argentina, where I live, UC-500 are about U$S 320 (per 100 films), and UC-200 are U$S 150 (per 100 films also).

I don't know why UC-200 don't show up in Axygen's site, and I don't get any reply from them...