I have ONLY to select between two options of real time PCR machines: Bio-Rad cfx96 touch or Rotor-Gene Q 5plex platform. In fact, I know the major technical differences like heating and cooling systems, number of channels..etc. However, my question is: Is there anybody who USED and compared both system and can tell the practical differences? The major tasks of our real time PCR machine will be diagnosis of infectious diseases with focus on multiplex targets.
Thanks in advance for your help!
We have CFX96 now and previously I have worked with a rotor-based Light Cycler. The rotor-based systems have too small number of samples from current point of view. Example: 8 samples x triplicate x 4 genes (3 studiedgenes + house keeping normaliser) = 96 samples. The software of BioRad is also better organized than the one of Qiagen for relative quantification, from what I have seen for another Qiagen machine.
Hi, Yaqoub
Both are good cyclers. In my eyes limitations of Rotor-gen are 36 x 0.2 rotor, which means (if you work using duplicates) max. 16 samples per run (incl. controls). You may use 72 x 0.1 rotor, but I personally don't like 0.1 tubes - they are too small for my hands :) Also, Rotor-gen software is somewhat not very intuitive and you should get used to it.
In contrast, CFX96 has 96 well plate and better soft.
But again, both cyclers will gain good and stable results.
So, I would look onto the price and choose the least expensive. Also look around whether you have reliable service for Bio-Rad and Rotor-Gen, just in case :)
I forgot something, there is a cheaper version of CFX96 of Biorad now on the market. Less colours and no screen on the machine but otherwise fully functional.
I have almost identical results of qPCR on both devices. Rotor-Gene is more sensitive to air temperature, so if your lab has no good air-conditioning it may lead to problem with thermocycling (cooling to 40-45C) during warm season (Palestine is quite hot country).
Hi
As I find your major utilization of the machine is in diagnostic field so You should consider the prices of consumables per test for each machine. The original BioRad consumables generaly have higher prices in Comparison with Rotor-Gene.
best wishes
Dear colleagues,
Many thanks to all of you. Your answers taught me new valuable and practical criteria to compare the 2 machines.
Hossein Khodadadi,
both cyclers are open platform, so you may choose whatever consumables / chemistry you may find on your market. It's not very practical to stick to one manufacturer's consumables.
I'd go with the block...as most of us are on block based systems... Plus I think your colleague that said: think about all in cost of the instrument is smart: think of the assays you are going to do and what you really need.
Dear friend
As almost all colleagues have declared, your choice is depended to the price but the compatibility of Rotor-Gene is more than Bio-Rad. Rotor-Gene usually work with most of Master Mixes and tubes. generally, i think Rotor-Gene has low-cost compared with Bio-Rad.
Hello friend,
What machine did you choose? My work team is in the same situation. Our first preliminary option between the Rotor Gene-Q, QuantStudio 5 and the LightCycler 480, is the first one. But we are looking for people who has experience using this machine to see another comments.
Thanks.
Hello Andrei,
Light Cycler is a good machine but it has own consumables, closed system, so you probably will not be able to use other plastics than special for Light Cycler. And this might influence the price.
Good luck!
We finally purchased Rotor Gene-Q. Although is more expensive it works well. Hope it will keep like this!
Yaqoub ,
Just curious if you still like using your Rotor Gene? Is it friendly with a variety of master mixes?
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