DynaMag™ 50: Magnetic support for the separation of Dynabeads™ in 50 mL tubes
Designed by Thermo Scientific, the DynaMag™ 50 is a benchtop magnetic separator designed to meet the most stringent requirements of cell biology, molecular biology and proteomics laboratories that handle Dynabeads™ magnetic beads on a daily basis.
This elegant device combines the power of permanent neodymium magnets, housed in a sturdy aluminium body, with an ingenious mechanical design that allows for a full 360-degree rotation. This rotation capability gives the user complete freedom of movement: the conical tubes can be gradually tilted to visually concentrate the bound beads on a single wall, recover any droplets retained in the cap and position the tube at the most ergonomic angle for pipetting while maintaining a constant and uniform magnetic force.
The platform is designed to hold two standard 50-millilitre tubes at the same time, a format widely used for processing intermediate volumes in cell isolation protocols from whole blood, enzymatically digested tissue or microbial suspensions. The magnets generate a particularly high gradient along the wall, ensuring complete agglutination of the magnetic beads — even the smallest ones in the Dynabeads™ range, with a diameter of one micron — in less than two minutes in most cases.
The DynaMag™ 50 also stands out thanks to its magnetic memory-free design: once the tube is removed or the magnet is taken away, the Dynabeads™ beads instantly redisperse as soon as they are put back into suspension, preventing the formation of aggregates and facilitating subsequent washing steps.
The support structure — an aluminium alloy coated with a corrosion-resistant polymer — can be cleaned frequently with a cloth soaked in 70% isopropyl alcohol or 1% sodium hypochlorite solution and can withstand brief exposure to mild solvents without compromising the internal magnetisation. Engineers have set a usage limit of 50 degrees Celsius, above which the coercive force of the magnets may be reduced. However, under normal operating conditions, magnetic stability is guaranteed throughout the product's lifetime.
Thanks to its wide base and non-slip pads, the unit remains perfectly stable on the workbench, even when the user rotates or tilts the tubes sharply to concentrate the beads on the rim. This stability is crucial for reducing the risk of cross-contamination and spillage, particularly in high-speed workflows where operators handle several samples in parallel. L
The DynaMag™ 50 integrates seamlessly into automated or semi-automated protocols: its small footprint allows it to be installed in laminar flow hoods or on robotic platforms dedicated to nucleic acid purification, while full compatibility with all Dynabeads™ formulations — conjugated antibodies, streptavidin chains, protein A or G, or carboxyl-activated beads—makes it a versatile tool for isolating rare leukocytes, sorting stem cells, purifying protein lysates, or cleaning nucleoprotein complexes.
In terms of safety, a clear warning indicates that people with cardiac pacemakers or ferromagnetic implants should keep away from the field generated, while a reminder to keep credit cards, watches or sensitive electronic devices out of the working area demonstrates the brand's experience in managing the risks inherent in high-energy magnets.
With its combination of magnetic performance, advanced ergonomics, easy cleaning and universal compatibility, the DynaMag™ 50 is a sustainable investment for laboratories seeking to make their magnetic separation steps more reliable and faster, thereby improving the quality of results and workflow speed without compromising safety or ease of use.
