The LiCOR Odyssey is a highly sensitive scanner operating in the infrared spectrum. This system is primarily used for western blot analysis, though its applications include EMSA/gel shifts, DNA-stained gels, and more. While this requires the use of specialized antibodies and detection products, the benefits of the system far outweighs the cost. Direct imaging of conjugated antibodies eliminates film costs and allows for a wider linear dynamic range of quantification than chemiluminescence. The LiCOR also achieves a higher signal to noise ratio than other detection methods, due to negligible background radiation from the membrane at the signal wavelengths. For peak performance, users are suggested to use membranes made of nitrocellulose or Millipore Immobilin-FL membrane a low fluorescence PVDF.
