Information about all the major pieces of equipment that we use in the facility can be found below.

ABI 3730 Capillary DNA Sequencers

We have three Applied Biosystems 3730 DNA sequencers. Below is some background information on each.

Scrooge

Our oldest 3730 DNA Sequencer has the code name of "Scrooge" (pictured left). It replaced our old 37X gel-based sequencers and propelled us into the wonderful world of capillary DNA sequencing. The machine is equipped with a 50cm 48 capillary array and can process 48 samples simultaneously. The plate stacker (on the right hand side of the machine - behind the tall narrow window) allows uninterrupted processing of multiple plates - neat!! The 3730 is capable of processing about 500 standard sequencing samples per 24 hours. Typical samples yield in excess of 800 bases of sequence and it is not unusual to achieve 1 kb reads. This machine is equipped with Genemapper generic software so that it can be used for DNA fragment sizing applications such as analysing STRs, SNP analysis, etc.

Hortense

Our next newest 3730 was obtained in 2005. This machine is equipped with a 50cm 48 capillary array. Like Scrooge, this machine can process 48 samples in parallel. This machine is also equipped with Genemapper software so that it can be used for DNA fragment sizing applications such as analysing STRs, SNP analysis, etc.

Goostave

This is our newest sequencer and was obtained in 2010. This machine is an "XL" instrument, which means it is equipped with a 50cm 96 capillary array, allowing us to run and analyse 96 samples in the same time as the our other machines run and analyse 48 samples. It therefore has a capacity that is actually equal to both the other machines combined. This machine is also equipped with Genemapper software so that it can be used for DNA fragment sizing applications such as analysing STRs, SNP analysis, etc.

Qiagen Bio-Robot 9600s

We have four Qiagen BioRobot 9600s, which we use for preparing plasmid mini-prep DNA from small scale (5ml) E. coli cultures. The robots will prepare up to 96 DNA samples at a time in about 2 hours. This DNA is ready to use for DNA sequencing or any other standard molecular biology application without any additional purification steps. These robots are used for our standard mini-prep service and also for preparing mini-prep DNA that will then be sequenced directly by us for customers.

Nanodrop Spectrophotometer

The Nanodrop spectrophotometer was bought to allow us to perform fast and accurate quantitation and qualitation of customer DNA samples (either customer-provided or produced by us as part of our range of services). The main advantages of this spectrophotometer over others are its speed, ability to work with very small volumes of sample (2µl) and the ability to recover the sample after measurement. We use this piece of equipment daily for checking yield and quality of maxi-preps and other samples. If you have a problem with your sequencing, often the first thing we will do is check your sample(s) on our nanodrop.

Other Equipment

Apart from the above items, we have a range of other more "standard" pieces of equipment that are used for the various activities we undertake. We have various benchtop centrifuges capable of centrifuging 96 well plates and other types of container. We also have an orbital shaker used for growing maxipreps, a range of PCR machines and various electronic and manual multi- and single-channel pipettes.