96-well plates, microplates, multi-well plates, microtiter plates or ELISA plates are used for the mass sample cultivation and processing of biological samples. With the microtiter plate ultrasonicator UIP400MTP, Hielscher offers a unique ultrasonic solution of the uniform and reliable sample preparation of 12-, 24,-, 48-, 96-, 384-, or 1536-well plates. Common applications of the microtiter ultrasonicator UIP400MTP include cell lysis, protein extraction, cell homogenization and solubilization as well as DNA fragmentation.

Mass Sample Preparation with the Ultrasonicator UIP400MTP

96-well plates and microplates are tools for the simultaneously handling and processing a large number of samples. As its name “96-well plate” already indicates, the 96-well microplate has 96 wells and can hold thereby 96 individual samples. Sample preparation before analysis, e.g. before cell-based assays (such as ELISA or PCR) requires cell lysis, cell disruption as well as protein extraction and releasing other targeted intracellular molecules. Ultrasonic cell lysis and extraction is a long-time and well established method of high-quality sample preparation. Ultrasonic cell lysis and protein extraction is performed in accordance to protocols and gives thereby repeatable and reliable results. The mass-sample ultrasonicator UIP400MTP is a 400 watts powerful ultrasonic system that couples the ultrasonic waves indirectly through the walls of the multi-well plates into the sample medium. Each of the 96 sample wells is sonicated with the exactly same ultrasonic intensity resulting in superior cell lysis and extraction yields.

The Advantages of Lysate Preparation using the Microplate Sonicator UIP400MTP

Lysate preparation in 96-well plates, microplates and multiwell plates (96-, 384- ,1536-well plates) can present a few challenges. During lysate preparation in 96-well plates and other micro-plates, several challenges can arise. These challenges include inconsistent sample disruption, limited scalability, cross-contamination, and labor-intensive processes. With the 96-well plate sonicator UIP400MTP, Hielscher has designed a reliable and comfortable lysate prep system. Developed specifically for multiwell-plate lysate preparation, the microplate sonicator UIP400MTP offers unique advantages over traditional techniques such as plate shakers and bead mill lysing. Thereby, the 96-well plate sonicator UIP400MTP overcomes these challenges in multiwell-plate sample preparation and helps you to achieve high-throughput lysis with excellent uniformity, reproducibility, and user-comfort.
 
 
Below, we address each problem and how ultrasonicators helps to overcome these challenges:
 

• Problem of Inconsistent Sample Disruption: Achieving consistent and efficient sample disruption in each well of a multiwell plate can be difficult. Traditional methods for lysate preparation like plate shakers or bead beating / bead milling often do not achieve uniform disruption across all wells. This inconsistency can result in variations in lysate quality and impact downstream applications.
• The Microplate Sonicator Solution: The Hielscher microplate sonicator UIP400MTP utilizes high-intensity ultrasound waves to generate cavitation, uniformly disrupting samples in each well. Since the 96-well plates and multiwell-plates are uniformly agitated by the microplate sonicator UIP400MTP, consistent and reliable lysate preparation across the entire plate is ensured.

 

• Problem of Scalability: Sample processing in 96-well plates or other multiwell plates often requires scalability for higher throughput. Plate shakers and bead mills can be limited in their scalability due to the size and number of plates they can accommodate.
• The 96-Well Plate Sonicator Solution: The microplate sonicator UIP400MTP allow you to use any standard plate with 12-, 24,-, 48-, 96-, 384-, or 1536-wells. This allows a quick and easy scale-up to large-throughput sample preparation. Since the Hielscher ultrasonicator UIP400MTP designed for multiwell-plate sonication is compact and requires just limited space, even higher throughputs can be easily covered by adding additional plate sonicators. Multiple sonicators can be easily installed as clusters side by side. This offers scalability by allowing simultaneous sonication of multiple plates, which enables for the handling of high sample numbers and efficient processing of larger sample sets, saving time and increasing productivity.

 

• Problem of Cross-Contamination: Cross-contamination is a common concern when working with multiwell plates. Traditional methods such as plate shakers may lead to sample splashing or carryover between wells, compromising data integrity.
• The 96-Well Plate Sonicator Solution: The sonicator UIP400MTP for 96-well plates and other multi-well plates is designed to sonicate the well-plates indirectly, which means that no material such as beads or chemicals are added. The microplates can be covered with a foil or lid creating a closed system eliminating the risk of any cross-contamination. This allows for accurate and reliable sample processing without compromising experimental results.

 

• Problem of Labor-Intensive Processes: Lysate preparation in multiwell plates can be labor-intensive, requiring repetitive manual steps and prolonged processing times. Plate shakers often require lengthy incubation times and intermittent shaking cycles. Bead mills require the addition of beads, and sample tubes need to be processed in batches. The subsequent removal of beads is a highly laborious process and always comes with the risk of unwanted sample loss and contamination of the samples.
• The 96-Well Plate Sonicator Solution: The Hielscher multi-well plate sonicator UIP400MTP for 96-well plate and microplate sonication streamlines the process, reducing labor and hands-on time. The sonication process is fast, with simultaneous treatment of all wells, eliminating the need for multiple incubation steps or manual sample transfers. Specific sonication protocols can be saved in the menu which allows for a quick and simple re-running of sonication processes (e.g. at pre-set amplitude, time, pulse/burst mode, and temperature window). The facilitates the production of reproducible and repeatable lysis protein extraction and DNA fragmentation results enormously.

 

• Problem of Sample Recovery: Traditional methods like bead mills can result in poor sample recovery due to sample loss during bead transfer or difficulties in separating samples from beads.
• The 96-Well Plate Sonicator Solution: The Hielscher microtiter plate sonicator UIP400MTP is designed for 96-well plates and multiwell-plate sonication and offers superior sample handling and recovery as they do not require the addition of beads or involve complex sample separation steps. The plates can be easily passed to subsequent process steps after sonication or the samples can be recovered from individual wells without any loss or contamination.

 

• Problem of Non-Versatile Use: Conventional microplate sample prep methods have only limited flexibility of usage and applications. Changes in sample volumes, plate types, or applying different treatment intensities are often not feasible.
• The 96-Well Plate Sonicator Solution: The Hielscher microplate sonicator UIP400MTP provides maximum versatility in sample processing. The UIP400MTP can accommodate various plate formats, including single tubes, 96-well, 384-well, or even higher-density plates as well as customized plates. Additionally, the micro-well plate sonicator offers great flexibility in sonication parameters, such as amplitude, duration, pulsation and temperature, allowing optimization for different sample types and applications. Additionally, you can use the UIP400MTP to sonicate small vials such as cryo-vials or Eppendorf tubes as well as petri dishes. Of course, the UIP400MTP can not only lyse and disrupt cells, fragment DNA and RNA or homogenize tissue samples, but can also be used to emulsify and homogenize samples, degas microplate samples, clean the surface of small solids or used as alternative to the flapping homogenizer (for homogenization of samples in sealed bags).

 

• Problem of Compatability with Automation: Mircoplate bead-milling or enzymatic / chemical lysis requires a post-processing step, where beads are removed and samples are washed. This additional process step disrupts a smooth transition in automated sample preparation.
• The 96-Well Plate Sonicator Solution: The Hielscher microplate sonicator UIP400MTP can be easily integrated into auto-sampler lines. The reliable and repetitive sonication process is ideal for standardized sample preparation with reproducible results.

Overall, the Hielscher UIP400MTP is the most sophisticated microplate sonicator with the capability to treat any standard multi-well plate. Offering significant advantages over traditional microtiter plate preparation techniques such as plate shakers and bead mills, the Hielscher microplate sonicator UIP400MTP provides consistent sample disruption, scalability, reduced cross-contamination, decreased labor intensity, improved sample recovery, and versatility in sample processing. These features make the Hielscher UIP400MTP the most efficient and reliable ultrasonic homogenizer for lysate preparation in multiwell plates, enhancing experimental reproducibility and efficiency.

Uniform Sonication of All Wells with the UIP400MTP

Tests such as the aluminium foil test and the emulsion test prove the uniform ultrasound intensity over the complete surface of the UIP4000MTP. The uniform intensity result in homogeneous sample sonication in all wells of the multi-well plates.
Aluminium Foil Test with the UIP400MTP
The aluminium foil test performed with the multi-well plate ultrasonicator UIP400MTP demonstrates the uniform generation of acoustic cavitation over the complete surface.
The complete surface of the aluminium foil shows uniformly distributed holes caused by cavitation.

The aluminium foil test demonstrates the uniform occurrence of acoustic cavitation over the complete surface of the UIP400MTP.

Emulsion Test with the UIP400MTP
The results of the emulsion test visually demonstrate the uniform ultrasonic intensity of the UIP400MTP. The upper picture shows the clear water-oil mixture in a 96-well plate before sonication. The second picture shows the ultrasonic emulsions after 1 min. treatment. All wells show the same loss of transparency, which indicates a uniform emulsion in all cavities.

The emulsion test of oil and water in the cavities of a 96-well plate demonstrate the uniform ultrasonic intensity over the complete plate. After sonication, all wells show the same emulsification degree indicated by the same transparency loss in all wells. (Picture above: unsonicated oil and water; picture below: sonicated O/W emulsions)

Precise Temperature Control During Microtiter Plate Sonication

The UIP400MTP is a 400 watts powerful ultrasonicator, which transmits ultrasound waves and vibrations indirectly through the walls of the microtiter plate into the samples and creates cavitation and shear forces in the medium. As all mechanical cell disruption methods, sonication creates heat. However, in contrast to alternative cell disruption methods, the UIP400MTP allows for sophisticated temperature monitoring and pre-setting of temperature limits to prevent any thermal degradation of the biological samples.
The UIP400MTP is equipped with a smart software. Via the digital touch screen, the menu can be easily accessed to pre-set temperature limits and to program the total energy input for your sample run.

Monitoring the sample temperature: The MultiSample Ultrasonicator UIP400MTP is equipped with an intelligent software and a pluggable temperature sensor. Plug the temperature sensor into the UIP400MTP and insert the tip of the temperature sensor in one of the microtiter wells. Via digital coloured touch-display, you can set in the menu of the UIP400MTP a specific temperature range for your sample sonication. The ultrasonicator will automatically stop when the max temperature is reached and pause until the sample temperature is down to the lower value of the set temperature ∆. Then the sonication starts automatically again. This smart feature prevents heat-induced degradation.
If possible, you might pre-cool the 96-well plate or microtiter plate and its samples to postpone reaching the critical temperature limit.

UIP400MTP Microplate Sonicator for High-Throughput Sample Prep

Customers worldwide use the Hielscher UIP400MTP for the reliable, reproducible and convenient preparation of mass samples in multi-well plates. The UIP400MTP facilitates their daily work in biological, biochemical, life science, medical and clinical laboratories. With the intelligent software and temperature control of the Hielscher UIP400MTP, temperature is reliably controlled and heat-induced sample degradation avoided. Ultrasonic sample preparation with the Hielscher Ultrasonics UIP400MTP delivers highly reliable and reproducible results!
Request your free information package including applications and price for the UIP400MTP be filling the form below or contacting us via email or phone today!

Looking for an ultrasonic system to process higher volumes? The table below gives you an indication of the approximate processing capacity of our ultrasonicators:
The table below gives you an indication of the approximate processing capacity of our ultrasonic systems from compact hand-held homogenizers and High-throughput / MultiSample sonicators to industrial ultrasonic processors for commercial applications:

Literature / References