ABI 3730xl
The ABI 3730xl DNA Analyzer, a 96-capillary sequencer, is the most robust sequencer on the market. With its production capacity of more than one million nucleotides per day, it is ideal for executing large sequencing projects. Brought to the market in 2002 by Applied Biosystems, we were the first in Canada to purchase one that same year. We conduct all of our sequencing projects on the ABI 3730xl.
In addition to its 96 capillaries, the ABI 3730xl is equipped with an electrophoresis system, a laser, and a CCD camera. The capillaries, having a diameter of approximately 250 um, are filled with a polymer that acts as a molecular sieve. The DNA molecules are introduced into one end of the capillaries by electroinjection, and migrate through these capillaries under the attraction of high voltage (8500 V) at which point the molecules are separated according to their lengths. Close to the anode, a laser passes through each capillary and excites the fluorescent molecules incorporated onto the DNA during the reaction sequence.
A CCD camera collects the information emitted by the fluorescent molecules as they pass in front of the laser. As each one of the four nucleic bases (A, C, G, and T) associates with a specific fluorochrome, the system distinguishes one base from another according to their respective wavelengths emitted. Subsequent data is analyzed, « base called, » and filed when electrophoresis is complete. We use the Sanger sequencing method, which takes advantage of the size separation of DNA molecules enabled by four fluorochrome-labeled ddNTPs.
JANUS Automated Workstation
The Perkin Elmer JANUS Automated Workstation delivers many dispense technologies reunited on one instrument. These are very performing, effective and multi-purpose robots. They are been designed to automated the preparation and the manipulation of samples. Compatible with tubes, vials, 96-well microplates and 384-well microplates, they are adaptable to any application labware. Our three JANUS station, including one work-station located in a pre-PCR room, are equiped with an 8-tip dispense arm Varispan and two of these stations also have an 96-tip Modular Dispense Technology (MDT) dispense arms. These two arms are independant from each other and moves in the three cartesian directions X-Y-Z. The pipetting range starts at 2 uL and goes to 1 mL. Their flexibility offer us the automation of our protocoles and the reproductibility of our results.
Qubit Fluorometer 3.0
The Qubit Fluorometer 3.0 is the new generation of benchtop fluorometer that precisely measure DNA, RNA or protein content in samples. The Qbit uses dyes that are selective for the biomolecule of interest. These dyes emit only when bound to the molecule, even at low concentration.