The OD600 DiluPhotometer™ has been designed for the spectrophotometric analysis of bacterial and yeast growth rates and the quantification of proteins at a wavelength nearby 600 nm (e.g. Bradford). The instrument is battery operated and can be easily transported for usage in incubation cabinets and under anaerobic conditions. The batteries last for almost 1 month when fully charged. A 600 nm LED source in combination with a fiber optic is used to obtain the optical density measurement. Spills can be easily wiped from the surface, and the cell compartment area can be rinsed with, formaldehyde or ethylene oxide to sterilize it.

Automatic Sample Dilution

Previously it was necessary to use standard cuvettes with a volume of at least 1 ml and additionally to dilute the sample manually. DiluCell™ from Implen allows for lower sample volume requirements and provides automatic virtual sample dilution. Due to the unique design of DiluCell™ cuvettes, the light-path is reduced from the standard 10 mm to 1 mm (DC 10). According to the Lambert Beer Law, this shortened pathlength results in an automatic sample dilution by 10 (DC 10). Automatic dilution with DiluCell™ saves time and excludes dilution errors and cross contaminations.

Protein Quantification with Bradford Assay

The Bradford Assay is a rapid and accurate method used to determine the total protein concentration of a sample by quantifying the binding of a dye, Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250, to an unknown protein. The assay is based on the observation that the absorbance maximum for an acidic solution of Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 shifts from 465 nm to 595 nm when binding to protein occurs. By comparing this binding to that of different, known concentrations of a standard protein, the concentration of the unknown protein can be calculated. Standard curves with bovine serum albumin (BSA) are given as an example.