Report - Use of the Implen NanoPhotometer at the Gläsernes Laboratory

The Life Science Learning Lab (German name Gläsernes Labor) on the Berlin-Buch campus in Germany is a facility that offers students the opportunity to experiment in a variety of scientific fields and to gain insight into the work of various research groups on the campus. The Gläsernes Laboratory provides four hour courses led by trained scientist on numerous subjects, e.g. water analysis, radioactivity, neurobiology, photosynthesis, plastics, dyes and fragrances.

In addition, the genetics lab carries out DNA extraction, genetic fingerprinting, virus detection and the analysis of genetically modified foods (Fig.1). The Gläsernes Laboratory also offers holiday programs, adult education and preparations for studies in life sciences.

Fig. 1: Students practice the use of pipettes in the genetics lab.

New Courses at the Gläsernes Laboratory

The course catalogue of the Gläsernes Laboratory is constantly revised; this offers students the possibility to get hands-on experience with the latest methods of modern life sciences. For two new courses, “Proteins” and “Project Week: System Biology”, the Gläsernes Laboratory required a new Spectrophotometer.

The NanoPhotometer® NP80 was kindly provided by Implen Inc., a German manufacturer of high-quality UV/VIS Spectrophotometers. Both courses are designed for interested high-school students who want to carry out more sophisticated experiments and gain practical experience in the laboratory. The NanoPhotometer® is also utilized in adult education courses, specifically “Fit for Study: Biotechnology”.

Fig. 2: Students measure the activity of alkaline phosphatase using the Implen NanoPhotometer® NP80. The measured data are evaluated directly on a computer.

Course “Proteins”

The course “Proteins” deals with the structure and analysis of proteins, especially enzymes. The basics of enzyme kinetics are investigated using the example of alkaline phosphatase. The students measure the substrate conversion and determine the enzymes’ substrate saturation with the help of the NanoPhotometer®. In doing so, they learn important scientific methods, such as how to create a standard curve.

Students also gain a better understanding of physical principles such as Beer-Lambert law. The aim of the course is to understand the function of enzymes as well as garner experience concerning how lab experiments are carried out and evaluated. The skill gained when using a spectrophotometer is indispensable (Fig. 2).

The Implen NanoPhotometer® allows easy detection of enzyme kinetics by automatic measurements at selectable time intervals. Data export and evaluation is also convenient with the Implen unit, which provides results configured in Excel and PDF formats.

Fig. 3: Measuring enzyme kinetics in a cuvette using the Implen NanoPhotometer®.
Fig. 4: Measuring DNA concentrations with the micro volume function of the Implen NanoPhotometer® NP80.