MUHWA 0.1mL PCR 8-Strip Tubes — Flat Cap, Clear, 125 Strips/Pack
When your qPCR instrument takes 0.1mL strip tubes instead of plates, you want strips that sit flat in the thermal block. A strip that rocks on a high spot means inconsistent thermal contact — well 4 reaches 95°C while well 5 is still at 92°C, and your Ct values drift. These strips are molded as a single unit — the eight tubes share a continuous backbone, so they seat as a unit and stay flat against the block.
The flat caps are attached to each tube via a flexible hinge. One cap per tube, meaning you can open a single tube in the strip without disturbing the others — useful when you're setting up a standard curve and want to add template to wells 1-6 while leaving wells 7-8 capped. The caps close with a firm press and seal tightly enough for thermal cycling at 95°C without evaporation. Opening them post-PCR: they release with thumb pressure from the side, not from the top — pushing down on the cap squashes the tube and can spray PCR product.
0.1mL vs. 0.2mL — which for which instrument
Most real-time PCR instruments use either 0.1mL or 0.2mL formats. The 0.1mL format (also called "low-profile") is common on Bio-Rad CFX, Roche LightCycler 480, and Applied Biosystems StepOne and QuantStudio systems. The shallower tube height reduces the thermal mass and allows faster ramp rates. If your instrument spec sheet says "0.1mL" or "low-profile tubes," these are the right ones. Using 0.2mL tubes in a 0.1mL block results in poor thermal contact and delayed Ct values.
Clarity and optical properties
The tube walls are thin and transparent — you can see your reaction volume through the tube. For SYBR Green and other intercalating dyes, the clear tube wall has minimal autofluorescence at SYBR wavelengths. For probe-based assays (TaqMan, molecular beacons), the optical clarity is more than sufficient. If you're running a multiplex assay with dyes at the extremes of the visible spectrum, check for tube autofluorescence by running a no-template control through a full cycle and looking for baseline drift — in our testing, the clear PP contributes less than 50 RFU across 40 cycles.
Specifications
| Format | 8-strip, 0.1mL per tube |
| Cap type | Individual flat caps, attached hinge |
| Material | Polypropylene, clear |
| Pack size | 125 strips (1000 tubes) |
| Max reaction volume | 100µL (recommended: 10-50µL for qPCR) |
| Compatibility | Bio-Rad CFX, Roche LC480, ABI StepOne/QuantStudio, Qiagen Rotor-Gene |
Loading tips
When pipetting into strip tubes, touch the pipette tip to the inside wall just above the reaction mix — don't eject directly into the liquid. Direct ejection can create bubbles that interfere with fluorescence readings. Load from well 1 to well 8 in order and note the orientation — the strip has a slight asymmetry at one end. Most users mark well 1 with a dot from a permanent marker on the cap. After capping, press each cap individually — a strip presser tool closes all eight at once, but individual pressing gives more consistent seal pressure.
