Centrifuges
5180R
Refrigerated Centrifuge, Eppendorf, New York, USA
Sorvall
Evolution RC Super
Speed Centrifuge, Thermo, USA
Superspin
R V/FM, Refrigerated Centrifuge,
Plastocraft, India
A centrifuge
is a device driven by an electric motor for separating particles like cells,
sub cellular components, proteins from a solution according to their size,
shape, density, viscosity of the medium and rotor speed. The methodology
involved is the density difference between the particles and the medium in
which they are suspended. In 1864, Antonin Prandtl invented the dairy
centrifuge to separate cream from milk. Later in 1879, Gustaf de Laval
demonstrated the first continuous centrifugal separator. We use the centrifuges
very often for DNA, RNA and proteins isolations, competent cell preparation,
plasmid DNA purification etc.
Bench Top Centrifuge |
There are different types of centrifuge available based on the maximum speed of sedimentation, presence or absence of vacuum, temperature control, volume of sample, capacity of centrifugation tubes, type or rotor etc., Centrifuge can be used for centrifuging the sample in tubes of volumes ranging from 0.5ml to 1000 ml, 96 well plates and glass slides.
The rotors may be fixed angle rotor, or
swinging bucket rotor. Fixed angle rotor is the most commonly used one and it
has shorter run time. The rotor speed can be in rpm, rcf, or gravitational
force. We have centrifuges which can run at a speed of 26,000 revolutions per
minute.