Abstract: The invention relates to a vessel and kit for thermal cycling applications, a method for manufacturing such a vessel. The vessel comprises, in the form of a planar grid having a predefined pitch, a plurality of sample wells each having a well wall, which defines an open well end and a closed well end. According to the invention there are provided a plurality of ribs between pairs of adjacent wells, the ribs being connected to the walls of the wells and extending essentially in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the well grid. The invention enables manufacturing of dense microtiter plates, which are stable enough to be used in high temperature applications and allow for more efficient manufacturing of the plate.

Abstract: A thermal cycler for use in thermal cycling procedures, and more specifically to a thermal cycler and a method for using same which permits the creation of temperature gradients in the thermal cycler in either of two dimensions and which permits optimization of the hold time of a given step in the thermal cycling procedure