Accurate Measurements, Solid Device

February 21, 2017

TheLab Inc
Biology
President

Overall

Performance

Ease-of-Optimization

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Company:

Implen

Product Name:

NanoPhotometer®N50 UV/Vis Spectrophotometer

Catalog Number:

N50

My lab does a lot of molecular cloning work for synthetic biology projects. For the longest time we didn't have any reliable and simple way of quantifying DNA concentration. This device has been a life saver. It is accurate (checked samples against other similar devices), easy to use, has lots of extra features that the competitors lack and is cheaper.

Experimental Design and Results Summary

Application

DNA Concentration Quantification

Starting Material

DNA

Protocol Overview

1) Pipette 2uL of sample onto the device.2) Close the lid.3) Press "Sample"4) Wipe away sample with Kimwipe.

Tips

As long as your sample is above about 5ng/uL you will get very accurate results. You many run into problems with very low-concentration samples (<5uL).

Results Summary

If you are just needing to quantify DNA concentration the N50 is a solid choice. But it comes with so many other features you'll be left wondering how other manufacturers get away with charging more for less. Overall the device is very sturdy and produces accurate results. But beyond just the basics you can do protein and kinetics assays and more. The touchscreen is easy an intuitive. Results are saved directly to the machine as a pdf or spreadsheet and can be retrieved remotely by a tablet/phone or a desktop computer. I prefer to simply copy the pdf directly to my laptop over the network.Another great feature is that the sample pedestal has a visible light shining through it while you load the sample which makes it easier to see what you're doing. That is something I have not seen on any other microvolume spectrophotometer.My only complaint, if I have to come up with one, is that typing on the touchscreen with my arm extended out in front of my is kind of clumsy. But its a minor inconvenience. I just stick to short samples names.

Features Summary

1) Touch screen 2) Wide range of programs available 3) Full spectrum between 200-650nm 4) Wifi and ethernet

DOI or PMID #

N/A

Additional Notes

N/A

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Summary

The Good

Accurate, easy to use, lots of programs, cheaper than competitors, looks sexy on your bench.

The Bad

Typing on the touch screen in kind of clumsy.

The Bottom Line

I would take the Implen N50 over any other microvolume spectrometer on the market regardless of price. The N50 is a solid choice if you are needing to quantify DNA concentration, protein concentration, OD600, complete spectral measurements. All your friends will be jealous when they see this on your bench.

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