We have developed this re-usable 24-well glass microplate for high through-put respiration measurements in tiny aquatic organisms. Each well is fitted with an oxygen sensor spot allowing for non-invasive optical oxygen measurements when placing the microplate on a special reader. By placing a soft silicone gasket lined with a thin gas-tight film (e.g. PCR film) a gas-tight seal is formed for respiration measurements inside the wells at any environmental temperature. The sensor spots and glass microplate can be cleaned with chlorine, ethanol etc. between trials and re-calibrated and thus used again and again.

This silicone pad (120 x 80 mm) is used as a compression gasket to seal our microplate respirometry chambers. It is made of non-toxic non-hazardous silicone materials that can be cleaned in a soap solution and re-used.

This flow-through water bath for a single glass microplate, fits snug over the microplate reader offering a way of holding the microplate in place so that the 24 oxygen sensor spots are centered directly over the 24 LED light sources for optimum signal strength. The water bath have ports for passing a flow of chilled/heated water over the microplate, i.e. making it possible to measure aquatic respiration rates at any environmental temperature.

When placed on top of the soft silicone gasket used with our glass microplates, it will apply adequate pressure for a gas-tight seal to form, thus allowing for respiration measurements.