Bath Beads VALIDATION FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS Although Bath Beads provide a more stable environment and constant temperature than water, they do, in general, transfer heat more slowly. For applications involving large (500 ml) or frozen vessels, incubation in Beads may take up to 2 – 3 times longer, so optimizing the bath might be required. The goal is to reproduce the conditions of the original experiment performed in a standard water-filled bath. Conditions For most applications, optimization is not required, but in order to determine if bath optimization or protocol adjustments are necessary for a given application, first compare performance in both water and beads. Once a protocol is validated, in order to ensure reproducibility, always keep the established conditions constant between experiments for a given application. Never wash or refill a water bath again! Replace water in your water bath with these thermally efficient beads that hold tubes and other vessels in place without the need for racks or other accessories. 1. Stir Beads briefly before use by turning over from bottom to top. In a typical bath, the temperature will remain uniform for up to 8 or more hours. Product description 2. Most vessels can be buried or completely submerged into the beads, which will eliminate internal temperature gradients and prevent the formation of condensation under the lid. A dry, metallic, thermal media comprising of small, metal beads for replacing water in a water bath, blocks in a dry block bath or ice in ice buckets. 3. It is important to keep the bath covered whenever possible. Reducing airflow allows for maximum temperature range and helps maintain optimal temperature uniformity. The result is a dry bath that is less prone to contamination and requires less maintenance than a water-filled bath. Bath beads eliminates water bath maintenance such as emptying, cleaning, monitoring, and refilling the water bath, as well as the need for racks, floats and bottleneck weights. Features Compatible with standard constant temperature water baths  Compatible with a broad temperature range from -100 ºC to 400 ºC  Transfers dry heat or dry cold with high efficiency  Accepts and supports any size and shape of vessel, including 96-well plates, dishes, and other non-water- tight vessels  Washes and disinfects easily. Autoclavable.  Eco-friendly! Energy-efficient and reduces your water consumption  For warming frozen reagents or larger refrigerated vessels such as 500 ml tissue culture media bottles, whenever possible, first bring the vessel to room temperature prior to placement in the bead bath. Eg, tissue culture media can be brought to room temperature by allowing the bottle to rest on the bench or in a sterile cabinet prior to adding to the bath. This can effectively reduce the amount of time it takes to warm a 500 ml media bottle from 1+ hours to 20 – 30 mins. Additionally, by periodically relocating a cold bottle within the beads, the bath is able work more efficiently, which can reduce warm-up times even more. When an application requires rapid heating of a sample over a brief period, such as heat shock during bacterial transformations, simply raise the temperature of the beads to compensate for the slowe rate of heat transfer. For example, to raise the temperature of a 100 μl sample from 4 ºC to approximately 42 ºC in less than a minute, traditionally, a 42 ºC water bath is used. To accomplish the same results using the beads, the sample is incubated in a 50 – 55 ºC bead bath. Hints and tips during use Clean any spills with soap and water. Ensure the beads are completely dry before returning to the bath  Disinfect periodically  If possible, use a mesh bag when autoclaving; the beads come out of the autoclave hot so this speeds up the drying off process  Always use clean gloves when handling the beads to avoid cross-contamination  Avoid using strong acids, bases, including bleach solutions, and detergents  PRODUCT DATA SHEET | BATH BEAD

Bath Beads USING IN WATER BATHS USING IN DRY BATH HEATERS Water Baths with concealed elements / thermostats 1. Switch bath to OFF position, unplug, and empty water 2. Clean bath thoroughly with soap and water, and thoroughly rinse to remove all soap traces. 3. Rinse tub with 70% ethanol and allow to completely dry. If required, descale following the instructions below. 4. Once completely dry, fill bath to 3/4 volume with beads 1. Remove the existing block and clean the heating-well. 2. Fill with 3/4 volume with beads 3. Set temperature (eg, 37 °C), and allow temperature to stabilise. Alternatively,...