Patrick Rüdiger, a biotechnician at BASF in Ludwigshafen, has been using the fluidlab R-300 in his work environment for several months. He is doing research in white biotechnology and works mainly with different Bacillus strains, whose reproduction he measures via optical density with fluidlab R-300. In this interview he tells us how his work with the portable spectrometer went and what he noticed in comparison to other spectrometers.
anvajo:Thank you very much for your time, Mr Rüdiger! How did you hear about anvajo?
P. Rüdiger: I visited the Labvolution 2019 in Hannover and became aware of the fluidlab R-300. I found it particularly interesting that the device is so small and portable. After a conversation at the booth, I took a flyer with me and talked to our lab manager about it. It quickly became clear to us that we would like to test the device.
anvajo:What do you think of young companies that manufacture laboratory equipment? Are you sceptical or curious in the beginning?
P. Rüdiger: We are always curious and willing to try out innovative devices. The counter-tests with two reference photometers quickly showed that we can rely on the results of the fluidlab R-300. Although the absolute values differed slightly, after I deducted the dilution levels, the measurement results were consistent.
anvajo: Did the automatic calculation of the dilution level by the fluidlab R-300 help you?
P. Rüdiger: Yes, this feature of the device is very beneficial. First of all, I had the dilution calculated by the instrument and verified it again manually with Excel to make sure that I could rely on the calculation of the fluidlab R-300. By now I save this step and do not need an additional computer.
anvajo:Which strains did you use for measurement?
P. Rüdiger: I have used several Bacillus strains, including Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis.
anvajo: What did you notice in direct comparison with the reference photometers?
P. Rüdiger: In direct comparison, I actually prefer the fluidlab R-300, simply because it gives me the same reliable results as my reference photometers, but in my laboratory it can be below the bench. In our case, the photometers are located two or three laboratories down the hall. So I don't have to go to another laboratory.
Another positive thing that struck me is that I can easily shift the wavelength on the touch screen. With other photometers I have to enter a different wavelength each time and then measure again. That saved me time.
In addition, the handling of the R-300 is very intuitive, you can easily start without being trained or studying the manual for a long time.
anvajo: Have you also created a calibration series with the instrument?
P. Rüdiger: Yes, I created a calibration curve with the Bradford reagent. The curves were identical, but with the R-300 I have the advantage that I don't have to create a standard curve with Excel, as the fluidlab R-300 already has this function. This simplifies the work.
anvajo: What did you particularly like about the fluidlab R-300?
P. Rüdiger: Since I mainly used the device for photometric measurements, I especially liked the live function. It shows you when the next cuvette has to be inserted. For the new cuvette the next value is displayed directly and I do not have to press any other keys or perform measurements again. I also liked the fact that I can shift the wavelength on the touch screen. This allows me to view the extinction where I need it at any point.
anvajo: Thank you very much for the interview and the insight into the work with the fluidlab R-300!
