How resistant is the blue screen to scratching?
The blue screen is made of plastic and will scratch more easily than a UV screen. However, this does not appear to be an important factor in performance of the Dark Reader – we have had a Dark Reader in use for several years in a cloning lab and it has been used (and abused) on a daily basis. Though the blue surface is somewhat scratched when viewed under normal lab lighting, in operation all but the most serious scratches disappear. To protect the blue screen while cutting out DNA bands an ordinary piece of glass can be placed under the gel without any loss in sensitivity. In addition, remember that we can replace a blue screen for about $70-100 whereas a new UV screen will cost about $500. Also note that the blue screen is much more impact resistant than a typical UV screen: drop a camera on a Dark Reader and the blue screen will remain intact. (No guarantees on the camera.
