Common Well Plate Seal Methods
Well plate sealing film is a very common and convenient microplate sealing method, and there are also some other microplate seal methods. This article mainly introduces several plate seal methods for well plates, in addition to well plate sealing film, there are also aluminum film, well plate rigid lids, and well plate soft cap mats.
Well Plate Sealing Film
Well plate sealing film is a transparent heat-sealing film for 96-well plates, suitable for PCR reactions and storage. Without any adhesive, it avoids contact with the sample and is easy to be peeled off and penetrated.- Self-adhesive versions are also available. Adhesive sealing film for PCR plates is self-tearing, has no glue residue, high-temperature resistance, transparency, and viscosity. Strong film adhesion prevents thermal cycling and evaporation during sample storage from affecting concentration readings.
- PCR well plate sealing film seal does not contain any DNase and RNase. It is used on assay plates to prevent evaporation while allowing reading on a microplate reader. 384-well sealing film is also available. It is universal for 96 and 384 well plates with 100% airtight.
Aluminum Plate Seal Film
- Aluminum film is an aluminum foil coated with adhesive, it adheres to the surface of the upper plate, and can be torn and pierced. You can pre-score before piercing for easy penetration with a pipette.
- It’s inexpensive, easy to apply and remove. It’s easy to reseal with it.
- Many assays are not suitable for aluminum films with adhesives, since the adhesive will come into contact with the sample. And it is also not suitable for aggressive solvents, which may dissolve the glue line.
- Aluminum film is used to store samples in plates. It generally has extremely strong aluminum foil, which can be used for deep freezes. There are also fairly thin and easy-to-pierce types used in automated machines.
Well Plate Rigid Lids
- Well plate rigid lids are usually transparent and allow spectroscopic measurements.
- There may be an “anti-condensation” ring on the bottom to prevent condensation from moving and causing possible contamination.
- Where samples need to be protected from visible light, a black cover is available.
- While such sealing caps are easy to put on and take off, they do not form a tight evaporation seal and do not provide adequate protection between individual holes.
Well Plate Soft Cap Mats
- Well plate soft cap mats provide a physical barrier to each well to prevent leaks and evaporation.
- It’s usually made of a soft polymer that can be easily pressed into the well to seal it.
- They generally come in pierceable types, and pre-scored styles that automatically reseal after the tip is removed.
- If the cleaning is handled carefully, it supports repeated use. But the price may be more expensive than the disposable protective film seal.
The above introduces well plate sealing film, aluminum film, well plate rigid lids, and well plate soft cap mats. You can choose the appropriate sealing method according to the experiment and your own ideas. Hawach provides 96 well plate sealing film, as well as PCR 96 well plate and 96 well ELISA strip plates. If you have related consumable needs, you will not be disappointed if you choose us!
