Mastercycler® X40 Sets New Standards for Sustainability

Ergonomics and sustainability are two of the most important topics in any laboratory. Work must be well organized, and it should be as easy as possible to carry out. This is the only way to obtain your results quickly, analyze them and then plan the next steps. At the same time, leaving the smallest possible ecological footprint in the process is becoming ever more important.

With these demands concerning ergonomics and sustainability in mind, Eppendorf developed and designed the new Mastercycler X40. Throughout this process, we have complemented our decades of expertise in the development and design of PCR machines (the first Eppendorf cycler was introduced to the market in 1990) with the latest findings with respect to ergonomic work and the reduction of energy consumption and packaging waste, as well as the utilization of resources.

Modern, clear, flexible
The result was a PCR cycler with a clear modern design which allows intuitive operation via a colored touch screen. The Peltier elements built into this instrument ensure excellent temperature homogeneity across the entire heating block.

The Mastercycler X40 heats samples in a homogeneous manner at a rate of 3.3 °C/s; cooling occurs at 1.5 °C/s. A 12-column gradient enables optimization of the temperature steps within the protocol and thus accelerates the use of new primers and a variety of DNA samples. For the transfer of protocols from slower cycler models to the Mastercycler X40, the practical “Program Migration Feature” is available which automatically adapts the heating and cooling rates to the tried-and-tested PCR protocol while maintaining the exact same run time. The Mastercycler X40 is extremely flexible: the aluminum thermoblock accommodates 0.1 mL or 0.2 mL PCR tubes or PCR tube strips as well as all types of 96-well PCR plates. The SafeLid adapts to the height of the respective tube, reliably protecting the samples from evaporation.

Tip: As a “VisioNize® touch enabled” instrument, the Mastercycler X40 can be connected directly to our cloud-based platform “VisioNize Lab Suite”, for monitoring, audit trails, and documentation.

Ergonomics for a positive user experience
With respect to ergonomics, the development team has come up with an impressive array of innovations; for example, quick and intuitive programming, easy opening and closing of the lid as well as a status LED that shows from afar whether the instrument is running or not. Add the light weight of only 7.25 kg and an extremely compact format: the Mastercycler X40 is only insignificantly larger than a letter-sized piece of paper and fits perfectly onto any laboratory bench. Thanks to the ventilation slits situated at the back of the instrument, no adjacent instruments or persons will be impacted.

Measurements revealed that the Mastercycler X40, at only 40.5 dB(A), is extremely quiet, and that the noises generated by heating and cooling during a PCR run will blend in with the naturally occurring background noise of a lab. This ensures a relaxed work atmosphere as laboratories with many electrical devices are often subject to high levels of noise.
Find out more on this topic in our Application Note 474 .

Comprehensively sustainable
The product concept of the Mastercycler X40 is designed in a comprehensively sustainable manner. For example, the optimally coordinated components enable the very low energy consumption of only 0.134 kWh for a common 3-step PCR run. In contrast to other PCR-instruments, 129 kg CO2 can be saved per year: see infographic .*
*Calculated on the basis of four PCR runs per day, on five days per week. Source :

With packaging, too, the emphasis was on sustainability. The Mastercycler X40 is packaged in a stable carton with 60 % recycled content; two thin recyclable plastic bags serve as dust protection. An elaborate operating manual is not included – to save paper, but not least because the instrument is so easy to operate, the Mastercycler X40 is only accompanied by a reduced short manual. If required, the comprehensive operating manual may be conveniently accessed via QR code. Even logistics were reconsidered: due to the smaller dimensions of the Mastercycler X40, twice as many instruments as before fit onto one pallet.

Conclusion
The new Mastercycler X40 not only sets new standards for PCR, but it achieves important sustainability goals. It reduces the noise level in the laboratory; it makes do with less packaging and paper, and it reduces your CO2 footprint. More information .

Related links

Mastercycler X40 landing page

Related documents

Product Brochure Mastercycler X40 Application Note 474 : Optimizing Your Lab Environment with Low-Noise Endpoint PCR Cyclers Infographic Mastercycler X40 Magazine | BioNews 60 (Jan 2024)