Despite its impressive technological credentials, the Sirius II is surprisingly user-friendly and can be operated just as well by a trainee researcher as by an experienced scientist. An automatic shutter reliably prevents any ambient light from reaching the detector and means the measurement process can be activated the instant the device is closed. The integrated touchscreen with its intuitive user interface eliminates the need for connection to a PC and provides a very straightforward means of setting experiment conditions and taking repeat or dual measurements directly on the device. Users can even produce graphic representations of measurements using this stand-alone piece of equipment.

The team at Berthold Technologies has integrated decades of experience in developing ultra-sensitive luminometers into the Sirius II tube luminometer, which is capable of taking both individual measurements - such as reporter gene, ATP and cell proliferation assays - and multiple measurements, such as tests for environmental toxicity or mutagenicity. Its detection limit for fireflies' luciferase of under one zeptomole (i.e. less than 0.000000000000000000001 mole) makes the Sirius II the perfect equipment for ultra-sensitive detection of bioluminescence. Hence the name Sirius II, as it can seem to make fireflies shine as brightly as this celestial star.