Description:

The Mastercycler Pro S couples Eppendorf’s triple-circuit Peltier control with a silver thermal block to reach ramp rates up to 6 °C s⁻¹—or 8 °C s⁻¹ in impulse hot-start mode—shortening a standard 30-cycle, 1 kb PCR to about 40 min. The 96-well block accepts all SBS-format plates or individual 0.2 mL tubes, and SteadySlope® electronics guarantee identical kinetics in gradient mode so protocols port directly from optimization to production. Users may define gradients up to 20 °C across twelve columns, while vapo.protect™ lid sealing limits edge evaporation, keeping sample volumes constant. Fast/Standard/Safe profiles trade speed for energy or difficult templates; all parameters appear on a color graphic controller that can network up to thirty satellite units via CAN bus. Weighing 40.8 lb, the system fits a 10 × 14.6 in footprint and runs from 100–230 V lines, drawing 950 W at maximum heat. Compliance features include password-locking and USB export of run logs for GLP labs.

Economic Advantage:

Silver blocks cost more than aluminum, but their 92 % higher thermal conductivity cuts cycle times 25–40 %—translating to one extra PCR plate per day in busy core labs. Because the Pro S networks five eco blocks from one controller, scaling throughput needs only additional hot decks (~60 % cheaper) rather than full instruments, trimming capital budgets while keeping SOPs identical.