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Thermo Fisher Scientific Launches New Imaging System for Life Science Applications

15 Oct 2012

Product news

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has introduced the Thermo Scientific myECL Imager, an easy-to-use imaging instrument that delivers one-touch image capture and analysis of protein and nucleic acid gels and Western blots.

Featuring a compact, benchtop footprint, the myECL™ Imager incorporates advanced charge-coupled device (CCD) camera technology with more than two times the sensitivity of X-ray film and 10 times the dynamic range. The intuitive touch screen controls and on-board computer simplify image acquisition. Researchers set custom exposure ranges with up to five different exposure times or use preset versions. The myECL stores images on an internal drive in a nonproprietary data format for easy sharing.

The improved sensitivity and small instrument footprint makes the myECL Imager an effective substitute for the laboratory darkroom. By eliminating the need for a darkroom to expose X-ray film, labs are able to save time, money and space and reduce environmental impact.

“We are continuing to develop products that eliminate unnecessary steps and actions in the Western blot and gel imaging workflow to improve performance, efficiency and speed,” said Steve Shiflett, product manager of Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Traditionally, X-ray film has been used to acquire Western blot images, but there are significant limitations with this method. myECL allows customers to bypass manual procedures to save time and improve accuracy.”

The Thermo Scientific myImageAnalysis™ Software supplied with the myECL Imager instrument is a full-featured program to analyze and edit digital images of stained electrophoresis gels and Western blots. It offers a comprehensive suite of programs to analyze nucleic acid or protein images, including automatic lane and band identification and molecular weight overlay analysis programs. The myImageAnalysis Software saves image files in a non-proprietary format for easy sharing. Images and data reports can be exported directly to Microsoft Word™, Excel® and PowerPoint® software for further analysis and presentations.

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Western BlottingWestern blotting equipment is used to transfer and identify specific proteins within a sample, reveal protein modifications, as well as give a semi-quantitative estimation of their concentration. Western blotting equipment includes all apparatus necessary to transfer proteins from gel to membrane and subsequent processing steps. Protein transfer can be performed by electroblotting with wet, semi-dry and dry transfer systems onto nitrocellulose and PVDF membranes. Blocking, washing and labeling of membranes follows, involving buffers, blocking reagents, blotting / incubation trays, labeling reagents, immunoblotting assays, antibodies and conjugates. Automated equipment for these steps is available to accelerate your lab workflow. Finally, detection and imaging of proteins can be conducted using gel documentation and imaging systems. Find the best western blotting equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Genome AnalysisGenomics, the study of genomes, includes functional genomics, evolutionary genomics and comparative genomics. There are many genomic technologies such as DNA sequencing of whole genomes, computational biology and bioinformatics. DNA and nucleic acids must be isolated and concentrated from cells for analysis with kits, automated analyzers and software. Other useful technologies for studying genomics include PCR, microarrays and electrophoresis.ProteomicsProteomics is the systemic bioinformatics study of proteins and amino acids, including their structure, size, function and identification. Tools used in proteomics include chromatography, blotting and gels, protein arrays, mass spectrometry and ELISA and associated analysis software. Analyzers and proteomic systems should be sensitive, high resolution, fast and may be automated for high-throughput.Gel Doc / Image AnalysisGel documentation (gel doc) or gel imaging systems are used for the analysis of proteins, antibodies and nucleic acid immobilized in polyacrylamide or agarose gels, membranes or microarrays. Explore a range of a gel imaging systems, densitometers, scanners, transilluminators or UV lamp + CCD cameras for your image analysis solutions. Colorimetric, fluorescent and/or radioisotopic samples can be visualized and documented for further analysis. See gel doc / Image analysis software for quantitative 1D and 2D analysis of your samples. Find the best gel doc / image analysis products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.DNA / RNA Extraction and PurificationPurified DNA and RNA are required for numerous downstream molecular biology applications. Consequently, the importance of high-quality DNA/RNA extraction and purification equipment cannot be underestimated. Many purification kits are available and are typically optimized for nucleic acid type and source, including plasmid DNA, genomic DNA, mRNA, RNA and viral nucleic acid purification kits. Automated extraction and purification of nucleic acids can be implemented with magnetic bead separator instruments or high-throughput purification workstations. Find the best DNA/RNA extraction and purification equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Protein PurificationProtein purification is a vital step in drug discovery, therapeutics, biotech and life science research. The purification process typically involves subcellular or membrane protein extraction with cell lysis kits, separation of proteins from cell debris by filtration or spin columns, and the isolation of proteins of interest from other proteins and impurities with affinity purification (including fusion protein tags and antibody binding proteins A, G and L), immunoprecipitation or chromatographic methods, such as ion exchange, size exclusion and immobilized metal affinity chromatography. All purification methods come in multiple formats for your laboratory needs, including agarose or magnetic beads, resins, columns and filter plates. Find the best protein purification equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Gene Expression and Molecular CloningMolecular cloning is a set of techniques that utilizes vectors to transfer recombinant DNA into host cells and is an essential tool for investigating the expression of genes and proteins in bacterial or mammalian cells. A variety of vectors optimized for gene cloning and expression in a range of host organisms are available, alongside competent cells for genetic replication. Here, you can explore a range of molecular tools, high-quality genomic and cDNA libraries, premade clones, transformation and transfection reagents and mutagenesis or gene expression detection assays and expression arrays. Find the best gene expression and molecular cloning products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Image AnalysisImage analysis involves the extraction of meaningful information from images, often using software to quantify and interpret visual data. It is widely used in cell biology, material science, and diagnostics. Increasingly, AI is being used to streamline image analysis. Explore image analysis tools in our peer-reviewed product directory; compare products, check reviews, and get pricing directly from manufacturers.

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Thermo Fisher Scientific Launches New Imaging System for Life Science Applications