TAP Biosystems, a UK supplier of cell culture systems and consumables for life science applications, has added a new plate heater to its portfolio. It has been designed for cell biologists requiring accurate and precise temperature control for plates in laminar flow hoods.
The plate heater has a defined temperature range suitable for cell biology use (ambient + 5˚C to 50˚C) and maintains a consistent temperature across its surface ensuring all cells are incubated at the same temperature. The unit also incorporates a lid to help maintain a stable temperature, even when being used inside a laminar flow hood. These features make the device suitable for cell-based and biochemical applications where consistent temperature control is important, for example, incubating cell based assays in microplates, trypsinising cells in cell culture T-flasks or generating reproducible 3D cell cultures with the RAFT (Real Architecture for 3D Tissue) system.
The unit has a footprint only slightly bigger than a standard micro-well plate and has smooth external surfaces for easy spraying and cleaning.
Rosemary Drake, TAP Systems’ Chief Scientific Officer, said: ‘Most microplate heaters on the market are designed for chemistry applications so are too large to fit easily in laminar flow hoods, have unnecessary temperature ranges of up to 100˚C and have holes or crevices that make cleaning difficult. Our rationale was to produce a simple technology that addresses all these issues, targeting it to cell-based tasks.’
