To what extent are the amber colored Safe-Lock micro test tubes permeable to fluorescent dyes?
The amber colored Safe-Lock micro test tubes protect from light in the spectrum from 700 nm to the UV spectrum of 190 nm. In the spectrum of visible light (350 – 600 nm) the protection is optimal with lessening intensity. At app. 550 nm (excitation wavelength for Cy3) the measured deletion is app. 1, meaning that 90 % of the incident light is blocked by the walls of the tube. At 650 nm (excitation wavelength for Cy5) the measured deletion is app. 0.35, meaning that app. 65 % of the incident light is blocked by the walls of the tube. If that is not sufficient, we recommend wrapping the tube in aluminum foil.
