OXYLAB 2 - 3 - GMR STRUMENTI

Chlorolab 2 provides a sophisticated system for the advanced study of respiration and photosynthesis from liquid samples under automated illumination. The system is supplied as standard with a white light source (LED1/W) but may be supplied with a blue (LED1/B – 470nm) or red (LED1/R – 627nm) light source depending on the proposed application.

The system provides the ability to automate the acquisition of oxygen evolution/uptake rate over a user-defined light intensity rate and to determine the apparent quantum yield.

The system is ideally suited to busy research facilities where demands on equipment performance are high but is equally at home in teaching environments for under & post-grad plant biology studies of the photosynthetic processes.

Samples are typically between 0.2 – 2.5ml and consist of suspensions of extracted chloroplasts, micro-algae etc. Changes in oxygen concentration of the sample medium are determined by the integral oxygen electrode mounted in the base of the chamber.

The system comprises the Oxylab control unit, S1 Clark type electrode disc, DW2/2 liquid-phase electrode  chamber, LED1 LED light source and QRT PAR/temperature sensor for light source calibration. All necessary accessories and spares are also included (excluding circulating water bath and PC).

The Oxylab oxygen electrode control unit operates in conjunction with the user-friendly O₂view data acquisition and system control software to provide PC control of oxygen uptake or evolution measurements from the S1 Clark type oxygen electrode. Oxylab may be employed to function effectively across a broad range of applications from studies of mitochondrial and cellular respiration to measurements of isolated chloroplast suspensions or solid state leaf samples in photosynthesis research depending on the type of electrode chamber used.

Up to 2 individual Oxylab control units may be connected to a PC providing a convenient method of comparing signals from 2 channels simultaneously. Additionally, Oxylab may be configured to accept an optional auxiliary input signal (e.g. temperature, pH, chlorophyll fluorescence, TPP+ or other specific ion electrodes etc) using the appropriate accessory apparatus therefore extending the flexibility of the system.

Oxylab provides automation of complex light intensity changes during light response assays in conjunction with one of the compatible LED light sources available from Hansatech Instruments. Light tables (or photon flux density tables) are created within the O₂view software via a user-friendly interface.

The Oxylab control unit connects to the serial port of a Windows® PC either directly or using a HAN/USB adapter (for newer PC’s with no serial ports). The control unit features a built-in magnetic stirrer (for liquid-phase measurements) and all the electronics required to control and measure the signal from the S1 oxygen electrode disc.

O₂view Windows® software controls all major hardware and data acquisition functions including signal gain and back-off and simple calibration routines for both liquid and gas-phase measurements.

Data from the S1 electrode disc, optional auxiliary input signal and temperature signal from a QTP1  PAR/Temperature probe sensor are plotted as a chart recorder emulations in realtime with post-measurement data analysis tools included within the program. Completed experiments are saved in .CSV (Comma Separated Values) format which then may be opened directly in other Windows® data analysis applications such as Excel®.

The DW2/2 electrode system is a modified version of the DW1 electrode chamber and has been designed for use with other instruments to allow simultaneous spectroscopic and oxygen flux measurements. DW2/2 may be used in conjunction with a range of Hansatech Instruments Ltd light sources and detectors including the FMS 1 and FMS 2 modulated chlorophyll fluorescence measurement systems to monitor changes in oxygen flux and fluorescence emission.

The reaction vessel in the DW2/2 is a precision bore borosilicate glass tube with a prepared S1 oxygen electrode disc forming the floor of the reaction vessel during measurements, identical to that found in DW1. It is surrounded by a water jacket constructed from black acetal which provides the ability for dark adaptation of samples or oxygen measurement in complete darkness. There are four optical ports mounted perpendicular to the reaction vessel at right angles to one another. Light sources, fibre optic light guides and detectors may be mounted on the DW2/2 via the ports enabling spectroscopic measurements to be made.

Chlorolab 3 provides a sophisticated system for the advanced study of respiration and photosynthesis from larger liquid-phase sample volumes up to 20ml. The system is ideally suited to busy research facilities where demands on equipment performance are high but is equally at home in teaching environments for under & post-grad plant biology studies of the photosynthetic processes.

The DW3 is best suited to measurements of larger samples such as macroalgae or seaweed sections which can be suspended securely in liquid a medium of up to 20ml. DW3 is also suitable for suspensions of extracted  chloroplasts, micro-algae etc when larger sample volumes are required. Changes in oxygen concentration of the sample medium are determined by the integral oxygen electrode mounted in the base of the chamber.

The system comprises the Oxylab control unit, S1 Clark type electrode disc, DW3 liquid-phase electrode chamber, LH36/2R red LED light source and QRT PAR/temperature sensor for light source calibration. All necessary accessories and spares are also included (excluding circulating water bath and PC).

The DW3 large volume electrode chamber is particularly suited to oxygen evolution / uptake measurements of macroalgae in seawater samples of between 1 – 20ml. (15-20ml if illumination is required). The square section borosilicate glass reaction vessel and quartz front window provides good optical qualities over a large surface area when illuminating the sample using the LH36/2R red LED light housing. Samples may either be in stirred suspension or in the case of laminar material, may be vertically supported and retained by the plunger assembly such that they may be fully illuminated.

A prepared S1 oxygen electrode disc is mounted beneath the reaction vessel and forms the floor of the vessel itself providing a highly sensitive and rapid response to small changes in oxygen tension within the sample. A rear optical window allows optional insertion of the fibre-optic cable from either the FMS 1 or FMS 2 pulse modulated chlorophyll fluorimeter (using DW3/FA adapter) to provide simultaneous fluorescence measurements.