LOW COST AUTOMATED PREPARATION OF PLASMID, COSMID, AND YEAST DNA

A LOW COST, AUTOMATED, BENCHTOP INSTRUMENT THAT CAN PURIFY UP TO 24 SAMPLES OF PLASMID DNA SIMULTANEOUSLY IN ONE HOUR IS NOW AVAILABLE. THE INSTRUMENT USES A FORM OF AGAROSE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS TO SEPARATE THE PLASMID DNA AND RECOVERS IT BY ELECTROELUTION INTO ~20 UL VOLUME. THE INSTRUMENT HAS MANY ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER ROBOTIC AND MANUAL METHODS INCLUDING THE FACT THAT IT IS TWICE AS FAST, AT LEAST SIX TIMES LESS EXPENSIVE, MUCH SMALLER IN SIZE, EASIER TO OPERATE, LOWER IN COST PER SAMPLE, AND IT RESULTS IN DNA PURE ENOUGH FOR DIRECT USE IN FLUORESCENT AUTOMATED SEQUENCING. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUMENT HAS ONLY ONE MOVING PART ASSOCIATED WITH ITS PURIFICATION PROCESS AND DOES NOT HAVE INTERNAL REAGENT RESERVOIRS. THE INSTRUMENT PROCESS BEGINS WITH BACTERIAL CULTURE WHICH CAN BE LOADED DIRECTLY INTO A DISPOSABLE SAMPLE CASSETTE IN THE MACHINE. PHASE I WILL DEVELOP A MORE COMPLEX INSTRUMENT USING THE ABOVE TECHNOLOGY WHICH WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY PROCESS 192 (2 X 96) BACTERIAL SAMPLES IN 1.5 HOURS AND ALLOW THE PURIFICATION OF BOTH COSMID AND GENOMIC DNA FROM YEAST AND MAMMALIAN CELLS IN QUANTITIES OF 3 TO 5 MICROGRAMS PER CASSETTE LANE. THE GOAL WILL BE TO OBTAIN DNA OF SUFFICIENT PURITY FOR DIRECT USE IN AUTOMATED FLUORESCENT AND MANUAL SEQUENCING AS WELL AS OTHER MOLECULAR BIOLOGY PROTOCOLS.