„Done in a Snap“: SnapTec® Makes the Difference

This article appeared first in BioNews, Eppendorf’s customer magazine since 1993.

Conical tubes with screw caps are among the most commonly used laboratory vessel formats, and they are employed in a variety of laboratory procedures. Typical applications include sample collection and preparation, preparation of buffers, aliquots, and working solutions, as well as centrifugation, long-term sample storage and sample transport, predominantly for the purpose of cell and bacterial culture, as well as protein and DNA/RNA extraction.

In these application areas, tubes must meet special requirements, the most important of which is low-contamination work followed by easy opening and closing of the tubes in order to maintain the workflow. In addition, the possibility of autoclaving the tubes would also be a desirable feature. In order to combine all these much-needed features in a new tube, Eppendorf has developed a solution based on the Eppendorf Conical Tubes 25 mL, introduced in 2019. Within a short time, this innovative format (optionally available with screw cap or the patented SnapTec snap cap) has reshaped the world of conical tubes. It was therefore a logical step to use the benefits of our SnapTec patent for other formats as well.

Compatible, innovative, safe
The new Eppendorf Conical Tube SnapTec 50 offers essential benefits of our existing Conical Tube 50 mL. The precise dimensions enable maximum compatibility with centrifuge rotors, mixers, and shakers. Premium raw materials and the absence of slip agents, plasticizers, and biocides during the manufacturing process ensure highest sample integrity, high g-Safe^® centrifugation stability, and optimal sample and pellet visibility.

The SnapTec cap is the decisive, innovative detail. It allows opening and closing of the tube with one hand to ensure a smooth workflow, especially in routine and multi-step protocols. The lid is securely connected to the tube, and it therefore never comes into contact with the laboratory bench. The risk of cross-contamination is reduced, and accidental confusion with other lids is avoided. Furthermore, the ability to autoclave the SnapTec 50 tube opens up new application possibilities.

„45 in 50“
Even though, for technical reasons, the guaranteed nominal volume of the Eppendorf Conical Tube SnapTec 50 is “only” 45 mL, this covers more than 75 % of all main applications. The tube is available in Eppendorf Quality™, PCR clean and Sterile (free from pyrogens, DNase, RNase, human and bacterial DNA).

^{*US Patent 8,540,948}

• www.eppendorf.com/SnapTec50
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• Magazine | BioNews 55 (July 2021)