The Cary 300 spectrophotometer measures absorbance of a macromolecular solution in the 190 to 900 nm wavelength range. The Cary 300 is a research-grade spectrophotometer whose peltier-controlled, multicell holder system is especially suited for enzyme kinetics and thermal denaturation experiments.

The Cary 300 spectrophotometer is typically used to:

• determine protein or nucleic acid concentration according to Lambert-Beer's law
• evaluate DNA purity
• evaluate thermal stability of macromolecules
• examine ligand binding to macromolecules
• determine kinetic reaction parameters.

Instrument specs (source: Varian)

The Cary 300 features include:

• Pre-monochromator - extends the working range of the Cary 300 past 5 absorbance units by lowering the stray light levels. Dilution of a sample, to bring it into a range that the spectrophotometer can measure, is therefore not required
• Quartz overcoating - protects the optics from the environment and allows cleaning without damage to their reflective surface
• Sealed optics - prevents exposure to corrosive environments
• Variable slits - allow optimum control over data resolution. The spectral bandwidth can be set down to 0.2 nm. (Many instruments on the market are limited to a fixed SBW of 2 nm)
• Phase locked wavelength drive - prevents peak shifts and peak suppression at high scan speeds
• Double choppers - ensure that the sample and reference beam strike the detector at the same point, removing any errors due to non uniformity of the detector
• The large sample compartment - gives you more flexibility in sample size
•  Centralized accessory control - all accessories are centrally controlled by the Accessory Controller, built into the Cary instrument. Instead of each accessory having their own electronics, the Accessory Controller provides the interface between the Cary software and the accessories. If your custom-built accessories will fit into the Cary instrument, you can use the Accessory Controller to control them. Even external accessories, such as titrators, lasers and pH meters can be controlled.

More information

See vendor's site: Varian

Suggested Reading

For articles and application notes, see Varian website.

Protocols and procedures

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