Forensic DNA Lab Employs Small Scale Automation

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:51:47 +0000

The availability of small, automated instruments has made automation more affordable, eaier to use, simpler to implement, and has also uncovered a host of additional benefits, said expert.
According to expert, in this approach, it is important to ensure that the automation involved is simple to use, easy to implement and integrates with the workflow of the laboratories. In addition, laboratories need to consider how much time and effort are required to validate an automated system and how likely the lab is to include it in thier sample processing workflow.
The Maxwell 16 is one of the easy automated instruments used by the Mansfield, Ohio Division of Police, forensic Science Laboratory DNA Section. It is aninstrument used to easily extract genomic DNA, using only a few button presses.
Other instruments are the Qiagen EZ, Advanced EZ1 and the Invitrogen i Prep, which are magneticparticle handlers with multichannel pipetting capability. These instruments all have chemistries supplied in pre-filled and sealed catridges.
The EZ1 can accomodate from one to six samples per automated run, while the iPrep can process from one to 13 samples per run. These instruments use pipette tips to move the magnetic particles from well to well. In each successive well tip mixing of the purification., resin is used to blind DNA and wash the resin.
Magnetic capture of the resin on the inside surface of the pipette tip is used to hold the resin in tip for movement of the salple to the next well. Finally, the genomic DNA is eluted in a tube containing a user-defined amount of elution buffer that was placed in the tube by the instrument.
Tambasco and colleagues futher said that these instruments are an effective way for both small and large laboratories to automate sample extraction. The simplicity of running these instruments makes them likely to be used by forensic specialists andbe easily integrated into thier laboratory workflow.

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Forensic DNA Lab Employs Small Scale Automation