Globe Scientific PCR Cold Work Rack 96-Well — Temperature-Indicating Color Change, Maintains 4°C for 3 Hours

Globe Scientific PCR Cold Work Racks (96-Well) keep PCR reaction mixes at 4°C on the benchtop for approximately 3 hours after removal from the freezer — and they change color to tell you when they're warming up. The thermochromic material shifts visibly as the rack warms from 4°C to 7°C: purple fades to pink, or green fades to yellow, depending on which color variant you choose. When the color change is complete, the rack is no longer maintaining cold-chain temperature and needs to go back to the freezer or your setup needs to be finished.

Why Cold Setup Matters for PCR

PCR master mixes contain enzymes, dNTPs, and primers that degrade or interact nonspecifically at room temperature. Non-hot-start polymerases can begin extending primers before the thermocycler run starts, consuming dNTPs and producing artifacts that reduce sensitivity and specificity. Cold racks hold the 96-well plate or strip tubes at 4°C throughout the entire loading process — even long setup sessions involving dozens of samples. The visible color change removes the guesswork about how long the rack has been out of the freezer, replacing the mental timer that everyone forgets to set.

Two Color-Change Options

Purple-to-pink (PCR-COLDP) and green-to-yellow (PCR-COLDY) serve the same thermal function but provide different visual signals. Labs running multiple concurrent PCR setups can assign different colors to different experiments, users, or time batches — when the green rack has changed but the purple rack hasn't, you know which setup has been out longer. The color difference is visible from across the bench, not just when you're standing over the rack.

Standard 96-Well vs. Corbett vs. SBS

Globe Scientific offers three PCR cold rack formats. This standard 96-well rack fits conventional PCR plates and strip tubes used with most thermocyclers. The Corbett-format rack (PCR-COLDCOR) holds the unique 4-strip tubes used by QIAGEN/Corbett Rotor-Gene instruments. The SBS-footprint rack (PCR-COLDPSBS/COLDYSBS) matches the SBS/ISBER dimensional standard for liquid handling robots and automation platforms. Choose based on your plate format and whether setup is manual or automated.

Specifications

• Format: 96-well for standard PCR plates and strip tubes

• Temperature Hold: Maintains 4°C for ~3 hours at room temperature

• Color Change: Purple→Pink (PCR-COLDP) or Green→Yellow (PCR-COLDY)

• Material: Polypropylene (PP)

• Dimensions: 4.5 x 7.5 x 3.75 in