Description:

The ABI 7500 couples a Peltier-heated, 96-well aluminum block with a five-color CCD optical train, enabling multiplex SYBR® Green, TaqMan®, or HRM assays without filter swaps. Standard reaction volumes of 20–100 µL are accommodated in 0.2 mL plates or tubes, while a dynamic range of nine logs detects everything from single-copy viral targets to saturated cDNA libraries. Block ramping tops out at 2.5 °C s⁻¹, and temperature uniformity is held within ±0.5 °C 30 s after reaching set-point, preserving Ct consistency across the plate. The on-board Windows-based SDS software walks users through plate setup, supports allelic discrimination and ΔΔCt workflows, and exports results directly to PowerPoint or LIS. A halogen lamp and variable-excitation filter wheel broaden dye flexibility from FAM™ to Cy5®, and custom calibrations may be added without hardware changes. Ethernet and USB ports allow remote run monitoring, and the 75-lb housing (14 × 17.7 × 19.3 in) fits standard benchtop biosafety cabinets.

Economic Advantage:

Labs upgrading from first-generation 7000-series instruments could retrofit plates, reagents, and protocols—protecting sunk consumable costs—while gaining five-color optics and HRM capability for roughly half the price of a new 384-well platform. The wide reaction-volume range lets researchers halve reagent usage for pilot studies, cutting master-mix spend without sacrificing sensitivity, and software upgrades extend instrument life well past depreciation.