G:Box chemi XRQ: High-Performance Chemiluminescence and Fluorescence Imaging
The G:Box chemi XRQ is a sophisticated imaging platform engineered to provide a versatile and high-sensitivity solution for modern molecular biology laboratories. It addresses the critical need for a reliable alternative to traditional X-ray film, offering researchers a digital workflow that maintains exceptional sensitivity for chemiluminescent Western blots while extending capabilities to include routine gel documentation and multiplex fluorescence. By consolidating multiple imaging modalities into a single, compact system, it eliminates the need for darkrooms and reduces the logistical burden of multi-instrument workflows.
Capable of many imaging applications including:
- Chemiluminescence Western blots
- DNA or RNA stained with ethidium bromide, SYBR, and “SAFE” dyes
- Stain-free gels (pre-set protocols included)
- Coomassie blue or silver-stained proteins
- Multiplexed fluorescent gels and blots (using HI-LED options)
- 2D gels and In Vivo applications (additional accessories may be needed)
- Bioluminescence and Plant imaging
At the heart of the G:Box chemi XRQ is a high-resolution 4-megapixel CCD camera, which is Peltier-cooled to reduce electronic background noise (dark current), enabling the long exposure times required to detect faint signals in bioluminescence and chemiluminescence applications. The system is driven by the GeneSys acquisition software and comes with unlimited, multi-user licences for both imaging and analysis.
GeneSys Software: “Load and Go” Intelligence
Watch the G:Box Chemi XRQ Tutorial Video
GeneSys is the unique, application-driven core of the G:BOX Chemi range. It contains an extensive database of dyes, stain-free options, and imaging protocols, making high-performance automation accessible to everyone in the laboratory.
Streamlined Acquisition
- Automated Configuration: Simply select the size and type of gel or blot, and GeneSys automatically selects the optimal lighting, filters, and focus to ensure a perfect image.
- One-Button Quick Capture: Users can save custom protocols—including sample type, dyes, lighting, and filters—to automate repeat workflows with a single click.
- Smart Chemiluminescence: GeneSys helps you find the optimum exposure time, whether you need a quick preview or a high-quality, publication-ready image.
Advanced Image Optimization
- Binning for Sensitivity: For low-light chemiluminescence, pixels can be combined into a “super pixel” to increase sensitivity and reduce exposure times.
- Dynamic Fielding and Auto Gamma: The software automatically corrects uneven light for a flat background and sets black/white levels to improve definition between bands and the background.
- Marker Overlay: Capture colorimetric molecular weight markers and automatically overlay them onto your chemiluminescent images to simplify molecular weight calculations.
- QuickQuant: Quantify protein and DNA bands instantly during the capture process, saving valuable time during the analysis phase.
Key Benefits:
- Exceptional Sensitivity: Detect femtogram quantities of DNA and protein . The cooled 16-bit CCD camera and wide f1.2 motorised zoom lens capture even the faintest signals with a dynamic range of 4.8 OD.
- Automated Precision: Remove the guesswork. GeneSys software automates all hardware adjustments, allowing researchers to switch between applications in seconds without manual calibration.
- Brilliant Multiplexing: Upgrade with HI-LED modules that are up to 200 times brighter than standard LEDs, providing fast exposure times for up to five different fluorophores at once.
- Unlimited Analysis: The system is supplied with unlimited site licences for GeneTools analysis software, meaning the whole team can quantify results on their own computers without extra costs.
- High-Resolution Clarity: Super-high 4MP resolution (effective up to 16MP) ensures you can resolve close bands or spots, even on complex 2D gels.
- Regulatory Compliance: Full support for 21 CFR Part 11 environments ensures data integrity with comprehensive audit trails and secure image formats (SGD, TIFF, JPEG, BMP).
Technical Insights
High-Efficiency Peltier Cooling and Quantum Efficiency
The G:Box chemi XRQ features a next-generation CCD sensor with a Quantum Efficiency (QE) of 73% at 425nm, specifically optimised for the blue light emitted by most chemiluminescent substrates. By cooling the sensor significantly, the system achieves a superior signal-to-noise ratio, ensuring even low-abundance proteins are captured against a clean background free from “speckle” or “hot pixels”.
Modular Lighting and Stain-Free Compatibility
The system is designed for total flexibility, with a range of plug-and-play lighting options. It fully supports “stain-free” technology, with pre-set protocols in GeneSys that allow for rapid imaging of TGX Stain-Free™ gels without the need for time-consuming staining and de-staining.
Specifications
- Camera: 4 Megapixel (effective up to 16MP), 16-bit CCD
- Cooling: Peltier cooled
- Lens: f1.2 motorised zoom
- Filter Wheel: 7-position motor driven (UV filter included)
- Maximum Imaging Area: 30.5 x 22.7 cm
- Software: GeneSys (Acquisition) and GeneTools (Analysis) – Unlimited Multi-user Licences
- Lighting: Integral epi-white LEDs (optional UV, Blue, RGB, and IR modules)
- Compliance: 21 CFR Part 11 and GLP compliant with audit trails
- Warranty: 3-year service and support warranty