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HYPSELODORIS TRICOLOR
PCR Cold Blocks
Aluminum cold blocks and cooling racks for PCR plate and tube setup. Maintain reagents at 0–4°C during reaction assembly to prevent non-specific amplification.
0–4°C
Working Temp
96 & 384
Well Formats
30+ min
Cooling Duration
96-Well Aluminum Block for 10mL Tube, 1/unit
SKU: COV-96-RACK
Thermal Conductive Rack, 1/unit
SKU: PCC-50-0200
❄️
Keep Reactions Cold During Setup
PCR cold blocks are pre-chilled aluminum blocks that hold PCR plates, strip tubes, or individual tubes at 0–4°C while you pipette reagents. Keeping reactions cold during assembly prevents primer-dimer formation and non-specific priming that occurs when Taq polymerase is active at room temperature—even without hot-start enzymes.
💡How to Use Cold Blocks
Store the cold block in a −20°C freezer until needed. The high thermal mass of the aluminum block maintains 0–4°C for 30–45 minutes at room temperature once removed. For extended setup times, place the block on ice or use two blocks and rotate them. The color-change indicator (where available) turns blue when the block is sufficiently cold.
🔬Cold Blocks and Hot-Start Enzymes
Even with hot-start polymerases, cold blocks improve consistency by preventing enzyme activation during long setup times. For manual multi-plate setups or when using non-hot-start enzymes, cold blocks are essential for reproducible results.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Cold Block FAQ
A fully pre-chilled aluminum cold block maintains 0–4°C for approximately 30–45 minutes at room temperature. Exact duration depends on ambient temperature and how frequently the block is accessed. For longer sessions, keep a backup block in the freezer.
Our cold blocks accept standard SBS-footprint 96-well plates (both standard and low-profile), 384-well plates, and 8-strip tubes. Separate models are available for individual 0.2 mL and 1.5 mL tubes.
Aluminum cold blocks should not be autoclaved as it can warp the precision-machined wells and damage any anodized coating. Clean with 70% ethanol or 10% bleach followed by a water rinse.
Outfitting a new PCR lab?
We can build a complete PCR consumables package including cold blocks, plates, seals, and strip tubes at volume pricing.