The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology has developed a miniaturised observation device to measure CO2 in seawater, incorporating a Tecan Cavro Xcalibur pump.
The Cavro Xcalibur pump is being used for accurate automated pipetting.
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) is involved in a range of basic marine-related research, including collection and dissemination of information that helps to understand changes in the earth's environment.
Dr Yoshiyuki Nakano, research scientist at JAMSTEC's Mutsu Institute for Oceanography, said: 'It is necessary to monitor CO2 concentrations in order to predict future climate change.
'We developed a device that calculates the CO2 concentration in seawater by analysing a pH indicator solution, using two Cavro Xcalibur pumps to aspirate and mix pure water and concentrated pH indicator for each measurement.
'The volumes of indicator and water used are critical for reliable results, and the accuracy of the Cavro Xcalibur pump allows us to achieve exactly the concentration we aim for, while the pump's broad selectable volume range allows us to choose the exact concentration we want.' Nakano added: 'We also chose the Cavro Xcalibur pump because an important design goal was to make the CO2 sensor small and light; the pump also offered high accuracy and was capable of maintenance-free operation for long periods.'
