!%Omicron Laserage Laserprodukte GmbH%! of Rodgau, Germany, has begun volume production of direct green (515 nm) diode lasers specifically for biotechnology applications. The devices offer numerous advantages over conventional argon gas lasers and diode-pumped solid-state lasers, the company said. With their direct analog modulation up to 500 MHz, they need no optoacoustic modulator, resulting in smaller, more cost-effective devices. They have greater power efficiency (the Luxx diode lasers have an optical output power of 25 mW while consuming only 5 W), leading to a longer lifetime. They also feature system readiness in less than two minutes. In the company’s Luxx and Phoxx laser series, the new 515-nm diode laser will replace diode-pumped solid-state lasers of the same wavelength.