Q. Has anybody got experience with a Corbett RotorGene and been able to compare it with either a LightCycler or Stratagene MX3000? I would be interested to know how the machines compare (cost / ease of use/ software).

A. I personally am very happy with the Rotor-gene our lab has. I do not have any experience with any other instrument, but I was able to work with the software very quickly. In addition, their represenatives were extremely helpful. We got the instrument last May, and were first time real-time users. We had some confusion on why our runs were going the way we wanted. The represenatives that sold us the instrument flew in to help us out. One of them stayed 2 solid days and ran experiments with me. Now, that is support and great treatment!!! We have been happy since!
 

Q. Has anyone any experience with the Corbett RotorGene, Stratagene MX3000 or the Techne Quantica that they would be prepared to impart as we set about preparing for the wake.

A. Make sure to check out the RotorGene - everyone I know who has one loves it and it rarely breaks down. I have used the software and it is very easy to figure out with no training.

A. We use the rotorgene 3000 and the CAS1200 liquid handling robot to set up the reactions (25ul in 0.1 ml strip tupes). The RotorGene software is very nice and we are happy as clams.

A. Hi Ian, we've tried pretty much every machine on the market. My favourite is definitely the Rotor Gene. The tubes are fiddly but not if you buy the CAS-1200 liquid handling system. A new version will be coming out soon that has 100 tubes. The software is by far the best I've seen for any real time machine. Avoid the Biorad machines at all costs, appalling software - almost as bad as the ABI software. The Stratagene and Techne are as good as each other, good simple block based machines basic software, as is the MJ research opticon. But I still think for reproducibility, reliability and quality of the software you cant beat the Rotor Gene. The ABI 7900 is good as its 384 well but is let down by bad software and high well to well variation if you dont use ROX.

http://molecularbiology.forums.biotechniques.com/forums

www.bio.net December 6, 2000

Q. Hi all, I would be interested in someone’s experience with the Corbett Research Rotor-Gene real-time PCR machine. Did you find it a good buy compared to ABI Taqman 5700 or Roche LightCycler?

A. Much easier to use than the LightCycler. I do not myself like fiddly capillaries but others do.

A. I like my PCRs to run in normal PCR buffers such that I can go from a block based 0.2ml microtube straight to the RotorGene.

A. It is not as fast as a LightCycler but will do 30 cycles in under an hour (including a 10 min HotStart).

Q. How about SYBR green quantification and probe based genotyping?

A. Not tried genotyping, just Taqman and Sybr Green.

A. It has the advantage of two real discrete exitation/emission channels with PMT's for sensitivity. The standard filters are for FAM and JOE butI also have a ROX emission filter if I care to use it. I'm pretty sure that they have other filters.

Q. Is the software running stable?

A. I have managed a very nasty crash yesterday whilst cut and pasting data into the sample window right at the start of the 10min denaturation. I had to do a re-boot and start the run again but the result was fine. I will bring it up and try and duplicate it when I see one of Corbett's guys tomorrow. Other than that it is OK and I haven't lost any runs. The software is continually being developed/updated and is getting better and better. Runs on a PC under Win95/98. It also runs under Win2K for analysis, not tested it myself for control. You can put any number of copies of the software on stand alone machines for data analysis so you can do a run and move the data set to any other PC for your own analysis etc.

Q. Are melting temp. resolutions in the SYBR green format as good as with the ABI machines, I mean can you run a gradient from 60-95°C in 20 min or so to get high accuracy?

A. Melts are fine. You can step at 1C or 0.5C between any two temps you tell it. Takes I think around 12-15 mins for the range you mention. Not quite as sharp a peak as the LightCycler but they have some demo results that show more than adequate discrimination on alleles using melt curves. You can define peaks and then let the software call the alleles etc.

Q. How is sample handling and loading?

A. Bog standard 0.2ml microtubes for the 36 well Rotor and their own 100ul microtubes for the 72 well Rotor. Both work fine. The lowest volume I have run to date is 6.25ul in the 0.2ml tubes and it worked fine. The slowest part is making up the reactions and in due course typing 72 sample details into to data handling window (which you can do whilst the run is going i.e. start a run then type in the details etc.)

Q. How is the support?

A. No problems over here.

A. It is pretty simple to use and I have had from undergraduate sandwich students to post-docs using it without difficulty and with excellent results.

http://www.bio.net/bionet/hypermail/methds-reagnts/2000-December/086456.html

 

www.biofind.com March 18, 2008

Comment:  I would advise extreme caution when basing purchasing decisions on thermal performance as described in marketing literature. Your best bet is to design a PCR reaction which is sensitive to dynamic thermal uniformity and to compare the performance of different systems. The thermal calibration/performance of some systems is likely to "drift" faster than others too... 

Response: HI, I Used ABI, Bio-Rad and Rotorgene 6000. I found great result in ROTORGENE 6000.

http://www.biofind.com/rumor/default.aspx?id=135518

 

www.scienceboard.net June 19, 2006

Comment: We especially appreciate that the Corbett research machine has excellent technical support services and that we are not restricted to using manufacturer-specific reagents, etc….

http://scienceboard.net/studies/past/27comments.asp

www.uttyler.edu/biology June 19, 2006

Topic:  Materials that we use

Comment: Corbett Research RotorGene 3000 - We are very happy with the machine.

http://www.uttyler.edu/biology/faculty/Bextine/bextineQRTPCR.htm

www.biocompare.com December 20, 2005

Review - Carl Gebhardt MD, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
I have used the RG3000 for quantitative RT-PCR with Sybr-Green I and FAM labeled LUXTM primers with subsequent melt curve analysis. Both dyes worked perfectly and the RG software makes is easy to design the templates and quantify the products…

The main advantage of the RG3000 is the flexibility and the low running cost of the cycler. As stated above, more or less every dye and amplification enzyme can be used. Also, the reaction vessels are standard PCR tubes and no expensive kits have to be used. …

 The Bottom Line: In my opinion, one of the best real time cyclers on the market, offering good product support.

http://www.biocompare.com/prorev.asp?id=383