Thermo Fisher NanoDrop Eight Microvolume UV-Vis Spectrophotometer for Molecular Quantification

The Thermo Fisher NanoDrop Eight Spectrophotometer is a benchtop microvolume UV-Vis spectrophotometer optimized for rapid quantification of nucleic acids and proteins critical in biotechnology workflows such as molecular diagnostics and bioprocessing. Using an advanced 2048-element CMOS linear image sensor and a xenon flash lamp, it provides absorbance measurements across a broad wavelength range of 190 to 850 nm with a wavelength accuracy of ±1 nm and spectral resolution of ≤1.8 nm (FWHM at Hg 254 nm).

Key technical features include:

• High throughput capability: measures 8 samples in 20 seconds or less, enabling efficient processing of multiple samples, beneficial for biomanufacturing and gene editing labs.
• Sample volume requirements: minimal at 1–2 µL, preserving valuable or limited biological samples in synthetic biology workflows.
• Detection limits: sensitive quantification ranges from 2.0 to 10,000 ng/µL for dsDNA and 0.03 to 145 mg/mL for IgG protein, supporting applications in molecular cloning and protein biochemistry.
• Automated pathlength adjustment: with selectable paths of 1.0 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.1 mm, ensuring accurate absorbance over a dynamic range of 0.04 to 200 Abs (10 mm equivalent).
• Built-in Acclaro Software algorithms: enable contaminant identification and correction of quantification results, distinguishing RNA from DNA—critical for RNA integrity assessment in transcriptomics.
• Compliance options: supports FDA 21 CFR Part 11 electronic recordkeeping, facilitating molecular diagnostics laboratories requiring regulated data management.
• LIMS integration ready: allowing streamlined data export for laboratory information management, assisting biomedical engineering and clinical research operations.

The NanoDrop Eight features ambidextrous pipetting guides for ergonomic sample loading and includes calibration certification, a Windows 10 laptop running proprietary NanoDrop 8 software, and all necessary cables. Dimensions are compact at 10 x 13 x 9 inches, with a weight of 3.7 kg (8.2 lb) and low power consumption, making it suitable for standard laboratory benches.

This spectrophotometer is widely adopted in biotechnology research for precise nucleic acid and protein quantification, essential for molecular cloning workflows, live-cell imaging preparatory steps, and quality control in biopharmaceutical production pipelines. Its rapid throughput and microvolume capability improve laboratory productivity across cell imaging, synthetic biology, and molecular biology disciplines.