Improved focus from Amersham

Amersham Biosciences, the life sciences business of Amersham, has launched an upgraded Ettan IPGphor II system as part of its leading 2-D electrophoresis platform.

With the new system, researchers can now carry out fast, convenient and reproducible first-dimension protein separations. It offers higher resolution and has the ability to analyse more proteins at lower concentrations than ever before. The Ettan IPGphor II Isoelectric Focusing Unit has been improved with a more robust and rigid design. A new microprocessor has been incorporated into the upgraded unit, which makes experiments easier to organise and control using Windows-based software. Programming and control processes can be monitored and stored for reference.

A higher throughput is now achievable thanks to the redesigned Ettan IPGphor II Manifold strip holder device. The manifold allows the user to run 12 strips simultaneously compared with the previous single strip holder.

In addition, sample-loading capacity has been increased, with a high safety margin for sample loads above the specified 1mg protein per sample. A 'loading cup' is now incorporated into the design, which improves protein-focusing patterns. The company says that no comparable system offers such good temperature control and salt-tolerance essential for generating reproducible results.

The Ettan IPGphor II system is part of a complete range of products for 2-D electrophoresis from Amersham Biosciences, and has been designed and certified for use with the Ettan DIGE platform.