The G:BOX F3 is the replacement for the G:BOX EF2. It uses Syngene’s groundbreaking GeneSys automatic control software. Driven from a database containing hundreds of application protocols, functional control of the G:BOX is handled by the GeneSys software. Images are captured automatically and effortlessly.

The G:BOX F3 has a high resolution 3.8m pixel camera which is capable of giving outstanding images with incredible spatial resolution. The system is suitable for a wide range of standard fluorescence applications such as DNA imaging or protein gels.

The G:BOX F3 has a stylish modular design. The system includes a motor driven zoom lens as standard, as well as a motor driven filter wheel. Internal lighting comes from an optional UV transilluminator or a blue light LED model to further extend the applications possible with the G:BOX F3.

The system comes complete with unlimited copies of GeneTools analysis software.

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Why buy this product

• Performance
  With the new GeneSys control software the user simply has to tell the G:BOX F3 the sample type and dye and leave the rest to the automated capture system. Images are produced quickly with the minimum of effort. No other system on the market offers this level of control.

• High specification
  The new series of 3.8m pixel camera is standard on the G:BOX F3. No other system in this class can offer such high resolution.

• Modular
  The new design of G:BOX F3 includes a motor driven zoom lens and a motor driven filter wheel as standard.

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Gel imaging for fluorescence applications

Powered by GeneSys

The biggest difference between a Syngene system and any other is in the way the system is controlled. At the heart of all Syngene systems is GeneSys which is an application driven control software. With G:BOX you can use GeneSys in either Automatic or Manual mode.

It is assumed that the user will know exactly what their application is and how they have prepared their gel or blot. In Auto Mode they simply enter this information into GeneSys (or recall it from a saved configuration) and the system takes over the rest. Behind GeneSys is an extensive database which contains data relating to a very wide range of applications, eg, fluorescence, chemiluminescene and chemifluorescence. Once the G:BOX has been told what sample to expect then GeneSys decides what hardware configuration is best and sets the system ready for image capture. Things like camera control, exposure time, sensitivity setting, lighting requirements, lens control, filter selection – all of this is taken care of by GeneSys. The user just has to click the ‘capture’ button and wait for the perfect image to appear.

From the opening screen the user can select the mode of operation – Auto or Manual. It is also possible to access the image browser and enter the edit screen to work on previously stored images.  Previously stored configurations are shown on the left as small ‘notebooks’.

In Auto Mode the user simply selects the ‘sample format’, the ‘sample type’ and the ‘matrix type’. The software has been designed for use with a touch screen.

Once the application type has been selected GeneSys then offers the user a range of dyes from its database. The user then simply selects the dye. It is also possible to undertake multiplex applications in which case the user would select each dye from the available list. The database behind GeneSys contains over 210 different dyes and stains and is updated on a regular basis as more options come onto the market.

Once the dye has been selected then the system will automatically configure itself to capture the best possible image of the sample. The lighting, filter and camera exposure settings are all automatically adjusted for the sample type. The captured image is displayed in the main screen with small thumbnail images of the current and previous images (either opened or captured) shown in an image ‘pool’. Note the icons at the foot of the screen which enable previous pages to be selected.

The fully automatic functions of GeneSys allow even the most difficult or complicated gels and blots to be imaged. For example, with Chemiluminescence, the system uses its intelligence to know the output profile of most of the major substrates. It can then decide the exposure setting best suited to a particular substrate. Then during the image capture process it continually monitors the output from the blot until the best image is produced.

Another example of the power of GeneSys is when working with multiplex blots. Once the application information is selected by the user GeneSys will make separate exposures using the correct filter, lighting and camera setting for each dye. The final multiplex image will be displayed.

On the image edit page the user can enhance the image, add annotation, save or print.

Not everyone wants their system to take automatic control. Therefore, there is the ability for the user to take complete control of every function of the system by using the manual mode. GeneSys has been designed using the most advanced software tools available. Primarily it has been designed for use with a ‘touch’ panel PC and to take advantage of the new functions afforded by Windows 7. Selection of all options using the simple interface is easy and intuitive.

Model information

G:BOX F3

The F3 is a fully automated gel documentation system that can tackle many fluorescent applications. Gels stained with EtBr and safe alternatives, SYBR stains and visible stains like coomassie and silver are routine.

G:BOX F3 has a high resolution 3.8m pixel camera giving excellent clarity for all your samples.

The G:BOX F3 can be used with different transilluminator options - either a 302nm transilluminator for all UV applications or an UltraBright-LED "blue" model which is perfect for all "safe" dyes.

Like all the models in the G:BOX range, the F3 is driven by the intuitive, automated GeneSys software. Without any training a user can capture a superb image of their sample, all they need to know is what is on it. For a low cost the G:BOX F3 gives you excellent results and future-proof security.

Testimonials

Madam Subha, Lab Manager, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore

“We installed our first Syngene system in 2001 and now have 11 in our research and teaching lab. We use them because, unlike other imagers we have tried, Syngene systems can accurately detect DNA and RNA stained with SYBR® Safe. Syngene systems are quick and easy to set up, which is important as we often have 200 students in our sessions, all of whom need to capture their gel images. The units are very hardy too and our first Syngene system is still working well today, despite being tested to its limits.”

“The support we receive from Insta BioAnalytik, Syngene’s agents here is great and if we have a problem, they help us to fix it quickly. This is good because with such heavily used systems, we can’t afford any downtime. When we need new image analysers, we always look at the latest Syngene one first, as Syngene systems have proved to be perfect for all our different needs.”

Manager, Allergens & Authenticity Department, Analytical Testing Company, UK

“We test both raw and processed foods and fish using PCR and PCR-RFLP analysis to determine whether they contain other species of fish or meat than the labels state. Because we are running and staining many gels we prefer to use non-toxic SYBR Safe stain so we need a system that can detect DNA stained with this dye at the nanogram level to ensure our tests are sensitive enough. This is why we installed the G:BOX EF in 2008 because it is capable of doing just that.”

“The G:BOX EF can detect 20ng of SYBR Safe stained DNA to give us the answers we need to help safeguard the public. I have found the G:BOX EF is very easy to work with because the software guides you through everything you need to do. Even when we had a technical problem, the service we received from Syngene was excellent and we were up and running again in no time, which is very important in a quality testing environment.”

Mrs Charlotte Jones, Laboratory Manager, Institute of Biological Environmental & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales

“We work on ways of producing clover that can grow and retain their nutrients in more difficult conditions to maintain pastures of these important crops. To analyse specific genes from the new varieties we breed, we needed to visualise small amounts of DNA and RNA stained with GelRed, a stain that is safer, yet not as sensitive as Ethidium Bromide so we had to have an image analyser that could detect this dye. We had used a Syngene system before, which was very reliable and this is why we reviewed a G:BOX EF alongside other imagers for this application.”

“We installed our G:BOX EF image analyser in 2009 and have found the system is easy to set up and use and the camera can easily detect the GelRed band images. When we had questions about more advanced procedures on the G:BOX EF system, we found the technical services people at Syngene very easy to talk to and they quickly helped us do everything we wanted to. In short, the G:BOX EF system has proved to be perfect for us to perform safe, sensitive DNA and RNA analysis.”

Dr Lisa Caproni, Research Scientist, Touchlight Genetics, Leatherhead, UK

“We are a start-up biotech developing new technology in the fast developing DNA therapeutics field. As a small business we need to work quickly and efficiently and rely on equipment that is simple to operate and delivers what we want with high precision. In this respect, G:BOX EF meets all our needs.”

“Even though we have only had the G:BOX EF for a very short time, it is now being used to routinely analyse all our DNA and protein gels and its “point and shoot” capability has saved us countless hours. I have worked with several other gel doc systems and I can honestly say the G:BOX EF is one of the best I have used.”

Dr David Mincher, Reader in Experimental Chemotherapy, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland

“We originally installed a GeneGenius system in 1999 and Syngene upgraded this for us to a G:BOX a couple of years ago. This G:BOX is very heavily used and last year we needed another one to cope with the demand. Since our first G:BOX has been very reliable and the support we have had from Syngene has been so fantastic, we had no hesitation in installing a G:BOX chemiluminescence imager as our next system.

Both G:BOX systems are very versatile and we use them in research to image standard DNA gels, gelatin zymograms and autoradiograms and even our final year students find them very easy to use. I would recommend the G:BOX systems to anyone wanting a great image analyser for their molecular biology research.”

Dr Cynthia Lampert Moore, Laboratory Manager, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

“We had our GeneGenius upgraded to a G:BOX more than two years ago by Syngene’s excellent support team. They were very knowledgeable and were able to talk us through any technical questions we had. The G:BOX is now very heavily used all day, every day for analysing DNA and protein gels and we print over 500 gel images every month. In short, the G:BOX is a gel imaging workhorse that works!”