Sometimes called dry baths or hot-blocks, these are standard pieces of equipment in most molecular biology laboratories. They are used to incubate samples, break down proteins and preparing for Western blots.
The dry bath is simply a heating apparatus that warms an aluminum block of metal to a set temperature and maintains that level for a specific period of time.
Because tubes, sample sizes and protocols vary, the lab must choose the correct metal block to accommodate their needs.
Manufacturers offer a selection that runs the range from blocks to hold PCR (0.2ml) tubes up to 50mL sized tubes.
The challenge is, what to do when you need several different sizes to run at once, or where different control temperatures are required?
You could elect to do like this lab:
That is a colossal waste of precious bench-top space.
The Benchmark Scientific myBlock series of dry baths offers several revolutionary improvements that increase productivity and performance.
The addition of a close-able lid provides for better temperature uniformity across the heating surface.
Most significant is the patented Quick-Flip block. On one side, holes for 0.5 and 1.5 tubes have been drilled, on the other side, a grid for 48 x 0.2 tubes is featured.
When using the double-sized unit with two quick-flip blocks an entire PCR plate can be incubated at once!
The isoBlock version has a divider that separates the bath into two independently controlled chambers.
With a footprint of just 6.3 x 14.5 x 5 (WxLxH), this is the one bath that does it all.
For specific details, please visit the product page for the Benchmark family of dry baths.
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