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“Our department is involved in many projects which involve seeing how cells react to different protein or chemical inputs by looking at protein expression. To do this, we run a large number of 1D and 2D protein gels so we need an easy to use imaging system. We installed the G:BOX in 2008 and so far the system can do everything we need from excellent visualisation right through to accurate quantification of even complex 2D gels.”

“The G:BOX is great to work with as you don’t need a manual and an hour to get up and running. You can just click to get the G:BOX ready and we like that because the system is heavily used by scientists all analysing different types of gels and blots, which means they can leave it set up for almost anything. Yet you can come along and within minutes you can see what you want and if you do have technical questions, staff at Syngene always respond very quickly, so overall we’re really happy with our G:BOX.”

Post-doctoral researcher

UK University

“In 2004, we began using our GeneGnome to help us determine expression levels of proteins. We chose a GeneGnome because it only performs chemiluminescence imaging, making it simpler to use than other imagers we looked at. Using our GeneGnome we have detected large membrane proteins of 260 KDa and visualised nanogram amounts of protein, so it has plenty of sensitivity for our work.”

“We like the free software upgrades that help to keep our GeneGnome up to date and have been really impressed with the service and support Syngene has given us while we’ve been using the system.”

Dr Emily Taylor, Laboratory Manager

Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

“We decided to upgrade our gel doc to an InGenius system because we found the InGenius is more sensitive than others we looked at in the same price range, and we can save our images in a TIFF format. This is important to us, as we can still use the existing DNA analysis software that we like to analyse our gel images.”

“We are looking for microbial DNA stained with SYBR Green in colonic samples taken from children with chronic digestive diseases. The DNA bands on our gels are often low intensity so we need an imager which can detect these. Syngene’s technical team is very honest and they advised us on the right lighting and filter combination to allow us to easily visualise our DNA. We’re very pleased we purchased an InGenius.”

Dr Konstantinos Gerasimidis, Lecturer in Clinical Nutrition

University of Glasgow, Scotland

“We have been using our G:BOX EF since 2009 to routinely detect PCR products derived from parasitic red worms that infect horses. We chose the G:BOX EF because we can use it to visualise DNA stained with SYBR® Safe using blue light, which means it is much safer for us than using toxic stains and UV light.”

“We easily set up our G:BOX EF straight from the box and so far we have found the system easy to navigate around. Even our students can use the G:BOX EF with minimal supervision. The G:BOX EF can detect small amounts of sometimes low intensity PCR product very well so is ideal for our research.”

Dr Krystyna Cwiklinski, Research Associate

School of Veterinary Science, The University of Liverpool, UK

“We chose a Dyversity system in 2010 after reviewing two other image analyzers because it is reasonably priced and includes filters and software that are useful for analyzing our 2D gels. We are using Dyversity to detect proteins extracted from the tears of patients with different eye diseases and with this system, we can easily capture high-quality images of our gels and blots, which we analyze using Syngene’s GeneTools and Dymension software.”

“The service we have had from Syngene has been excellent because we always receive support whenever we need it. Using Dyversity has helped us to establish good proteomic profiles in several ocular diseases and we have written three papers using data generated by the Dyversity, so we are very happy with our Dyversity system.”

Dr. Victor M.Bautista de Lucio, Professor Researcher

Institute of Ophthalmology “Fundación Conde de Valenciana”, Mexico

“We have been using the GeneGnome since 2003 for imaging Western blots to determine how changes in phospholipase C affect the regulation of proteins during mitosis. During this time we have only had to make one change to the hardware, which Syngene came in and did on-site. When we need to purchase another chemiluminescent imager, we’ll definitely go for another from Syngene because using a GeneGnome and working with Syngene has been an entirely positive experience.”

Professor Ales Vancura

Department of Biological Sciences, St John's University, New York, USA

“We wanted to visualize gels stained with SYBR® Safe, as it is less hazardous than having students use Ethidium bromide. In 2008, we installed a Syngene gel documentation system because it is much more sensitive than the Polaroid camera we were using and it easily detects SYBR Safe stained DNA.”

“We now use the Syngene system all the time to teach our students how to image and quantify DNA. Every year over 60 students use the system to analyze multiple experiments, and then upload the results to our internal web site. They love it because it is intuitive. Each student can quickly produce an image of their gel, which is good as it prevents long lines of grumpy students lining up to use the system. I’d highly recommend a Syngene gel doc for use in teaching labs!”

Dr Natalie Kuldell, Instructor

Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA

“Since 2007, we have been using the Dyversity 2D image analysis system to analyze proteins associated with brain tumors on chemiluminescent Westerns and have detected and quantified bands which we haven’t been able to see using other image analyzers. We also use Dyversity with Dymension 2D analysis software to quantify protein spots on 2D gels because the two together make this complicated analysis straightforward.”

“The technical support we have had from Syngene is excellent. They have taught us how to use the software efficiently and have always been prompt to respond to all our queries with helpful suggestions. I would go so far as to say we have never had such great support from any other company and I would recommend a Dyversity and Dymension to anyone thinking of doing 2D gel work.”

Dr Sonali Patil, Scientist

Burzynski Research Institute, Texas, USA

“We’ve had a G:BOX Chemi for over two years and we use it for analysis of DNA fragments to examine relationships between taxa. We compared the G:BOX Chemi with three others from leading manufacturers and chose this system because it makes gel documentation very straightforward and offers the best performance.

We have been very pleased with the G:BOX Chemi and by Syngene’s responsive technical support, so when we needed another gel doc system we knew purchasing a second G:BOX was the right decision”.

Dr Kevin Feldheim, Laboratory Manager

Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution, The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA

“We use our G:BOX Chemi HR16 regularly for teaching students how to visualize DNA and proteins on gels and proteins on Western blots. The system is simple to work with and the students can use it with very little training. Since the software is so intuitive, it is almost impossible for them to get things wrong!”

“We have also found the real-time, on-line technical support service is excellent. As we’re a bit off the beaten track here, we cannot always wait for an engineer or rep to come out and it’s very reassuring to know Syngene support staff can help us remotely to rapidly resolve any technical questions which arise.”

Dr Mark K Larson, Assistant Professor

Biology Department, Augustana College, South Dakota, USA

“We installed our first Syngene system in 2001 and now have 11 in our research and teaching lab. We use them because, unlike other imagers we have tried, Syngene systems can accurately detect DNA and RNA stained with SYBR® Safe. Syngene systems are quick and easy to set up, which is important as we often have 200 students in our sessions, all of whom need to capture their gel images. The units are very hardy too and our first Syngene system is still working well today, despite being tested to its limits.”

“The support we receive from Insta BioAnalytik, Syngene’s agents here is great and if we have a problem, they help us to fix it quickly. This is good because with such heavily used systems, we can’t afford any downtime. When we need new image analysers, we always look at the latest Syngene one first, as Syngene systems have proved to be perfect for all our different needs.”

Madam Subha, Lab Manager

Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore

“We know Syngene systems are reliable as we have had a Syngene gel doc for years which has survived being used to its absolute limits. When we needed a second image analyser for imaging Westerns of protein associated with muscular dystrophy, we looked at others but finally stayed loyal to Syngene and installed a G:BOX iChemi XT.”

“This was a great decision because the G:BOX iChemi XT is not as expensive as many that can image fluorescent Westerns, yet the system can detect low levels of proteins using ECL imaging, as well as overlay fluorescent Westerns. This has allowed us to compare different labels directly on the same blot, and more importantly, to have total confidence that the qualitative data on up and down-regulated proteins produced by the G:BOX iChemi XT is accurate.”

Professor Darek Gorecki, Director of Research

School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

“We test both raw and processed foods and fish using PCR and PCR-RFLP analysis to determine whether they contain other species of fish or meat than the labels state. Because we are running and staining many gels we prefer to use non-toxic SYBR Safe stain so we need a system that can detect DNA stained with this dye at the nanogram level to ensure our tests are sensitive enough. This is why we installed the G:BOX EF in 2008 because it is capable of doing just that.”

“The G:BOX EF can detect 20ng of SYBR Safe stained DNA to give us the answers we need to help safeguard the public. I have found the G:BOX EF is very easy to work with because the software guides you through everything you need to do. Even when we had a technical problem, the service we received from Syngene was excellent and we were up and running again in no time, which is very important in a quality testing environment.”

Manager

Allergens & Authenticity Department, Analytical Testing Company, UK

“We are a core protein production facility, so we clone and express a wide range of proteins. We chose to install a G:BOX chemiluminescence imaging system in 2008 because of the three we assessed it is the most flexible, has the most user-friendly software and produces a data set that is much simpler to manage for chemiluminescent Westerns than autoradiography.”

“Since then, we’ve seen more and more researchers in the university switching away from using X-ray film for their chemiluminescent blots and over to the G:BOX chemiluminescence imager, which I think shows how easy this system is to use.”

Dr Jared Cartwright, Laboratory Head

Technology Facility, University of York, York, UK

“We work with up and down-regulated genes and proteins from fruit fly eyes, which can generate very weak chemiluminescent signal. We stain our DNA with SYBR SafeTM DNA gel stain, protein gels with Coomassie® Blue R and immunoblots with ECL PlusTM, so we have to have an imager that can handle all these applications.”

“After reviewing four imaging systems, we decided to install the G:BOX iChemi XR because it gave us the value of essentially having two systems in one and the GeneTools analysis software is, in my opinion, the best on the market.”

Dr Che-Hsiung Liu, Research Associate

Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

“Our Dyversity system is used by a number of different research groups to image chemiluminescent and fluorescent Westerns, as well as DNA and protein gels of a variety of cancers. The service we have had from Syngene is excellent, as they trained us to get the best out of the Dyversity’s software and even helped us with a more unusual fluorescence application.”

“We have used different imagers in the past and they were so complicated to set up that it is great to use the Dyversity system where the software is intuitive. Using the system we have obtained perfect chemiluminescent blot results, without having to stand over them or become a camera expert, which makes Dyversity the perfect imager for our research.”

Dr Jane Gray, Senior Scientific Officer

Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Cambridge, UK

“We work on ways of producing clover that can grow and retain their nutrients in more difficult conditions to maintain pastures of these important crops. To analyse specific genes from the new varieties we breed, we needed to visualise small amounts of DNA and RNA stained with GelRed, a stain that is safer, yet not as sensitive as Ethidium Bromide so we had to have an image analyser that could detect this dye. We had used a Syngene system before, which was very reliable and this is why we reviewed a G:BOX EF alongside other imagers for this application.”

“We installed our G:BOX EF image analyser in 2009 and have found the system is easy to set up and use and the camera can easily detect the GelRed band images. When we had questions about more advanced procedures on the G:BOX EF system, we found the technical services people at Syngene very easy to talk to and they quickly helped us do everything we wanted to. In short, the G:BOX EF system has proved to be perfect for us to perform safe, sensitive DNA and RNA analysis.”

Mrs Charlotte Jones, Laboratory Manager

Institute of Biological Environmental & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales

“In 2007 we started using the Syngene Dyversity system to speed up the imaging of our DIGE* gels. We label our proteins with fluorescent dyes to detect differences in the protein composition and use Coomassie Blue stained gels to identify specific proteins by mass spectrometry. We utilise the Dyversity system, because it offers the possibility to use several wavelengths to detect fluorescent emissions of three or more labeled protein mixtures separated on the same two-dimensional electrophoresis gel.”

“Using the Dyversity system, we have analysed DIGE gels with at least three different colours to produce an image in just two minutes. We have been very happy with the Dyversity system because it has enabled us to rapidly analyse our gels and locate some very interesting proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases.”

*DIGE is differential 2D gel electrophoresis

Professor Beat Riederer

Centre for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry, University of Lausanne, Switzerland

“We are a start-up biotech developing new technology in the fast developing DNA therapeutics field. As a small business we need to work quickly and efficiently and rely on equipment that is simple to operate and delivers what we want with high precision. In this respect, G:BOX EF meets all our needs.”

“Even though we have only had the G:BOX EF for a very short time, it is now being used to routinely analyse all our DNA and protein gels and its “point and shoot” capability has saved us countless hours. I have worked with several other gel doc systems and I can honestly say the G:BOX EF is one of the best I have used.”

Dr Lisa Caproni, Research Scientist

Touchlight Genetics, Leatherhead, UK

“We installed a Dyversity imaging system in 2008 because we needed to accurately detect small amounts of proteins associated with the human aging process. The Dyversity has been very easy to use as the training and the technical support we have had from Syngene have been exceptional.”

“With the system, we have been able to rapidly generate reproducible data which let us measure phosphorylation levels of different signal transduction molecules in insulin-like-growth factor1 pathway so the quantification and analysis capabilities of the Dyversity are exactly right for our work.”

Dr Cagdas Tazearslan, Research Associate

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA

“We originally installed a GeneGenius system in 1999 and Syngene upgraded this for us to a G:BOX a couple of years ago. This G:BOX is very heavily used and last year we needed another one to cope with the demand. Since our first G:BOX has been very reliable and the support we have had from Syngene has been so fantastic, we had no hesitation in installing a G:BOX chemiluminescence imager as our next system.

Both G:BOX systems are very versatile and we use them in research to image standard DNA gels, gelatin zymograms and autoradiograms and even our final year students find them very easy to use. I would recommend the G:BOX systems to anyone wanting a great image analyser for their molecular biology research.”

Dr David Mincher, Reader in Experimental Chemotherapy

Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland

“We need quality control methods that are both fast and accurate to make sure we deliver the best antibodies. We used an infrared fluorescence detector for imaging our chemiluminescent Western blots but found it took too long to get the data so in 2007 we installed a G:BOX Chemi XT16 to see if CCD imaging would increase our throughput.

We were delighted to find the G:BOX Chemi XT16 generated accurate results in a fraction of the time and as it costs half the price of an infrared detector it made sense to install another three in 2008. Now we use four G:BOX Chemi XT16 systems to image more than 200 Western blots every week. Obtaining the data is now so much quicker and easier and we are supplying more scientists than ever with high-quality antibodies thanks to our G:BOX Chemi XT16 systems”.

Hannah Cable, Development Scientist

Abcam, Cambridge, UK

“We had our GeneGenius upgraded to a G:BOX more than two years ago by Syngene’s excellent support team. They were very knowledgeable and were able to talk us through any technical questions we had. The G:BOX is now very heavily used all day, every day for analysing DNA and protein gels and we print over 500 gel images every month. In short, the G:BOX is a gel imaging workhorse that works!”

Dr Cynthia Lampert Moore, Laboratory Manager

Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

“Our G:BOX Chem HR16 has been fantastic. The system is in constant use for analysing both gels and Western blots and does at least 10 runs every day. We have been so impressed with our Syngene image analyser and the excellent technical support team’s can do attitude that we are looking to purchase another Syngene G:BOX specifically for proteomics.”

Dr Clare Gallon, Research Associate

Imperial College London, London, UK

"When we first got our G:BOX chemiluminescence image analyser in 2007, I was apprehensive about using it because other systems I had seen and used were very complicated and difficult to programme so I was expecting this to be the same. Then, I got started and realised how simple it was to set up and image my chemiluminescent blots, I was really pleasantly surprised."

"Ever since, I have regularly used the G:BOX system and have been able to detect poorly expressed proteins. Also using the system's superb resolving power has allowed me to separate close bands. Now I wouldn't use anything else but a G:BOX system for analysing my Westerns."

Research Fellow

UK based University