Abstract: An apparatus for collecting samples by gel electrophoresis has a base table, a cutting tool or an extractor disposed above the base table, a moving mechanism, a pattern detector and a control device. The base table is for placing thereon a gel in the form of a slab with one of its sandwiching support plates removed therefrom in such a way that the gel is exposed in the upward direction. The cutter is for cutting out a specified portion of the gel, and the extractor is for extracting a specified migration band in such a specified portion of the gel by electrophoresis. The moving mechanism is for moving the cutter, or the extractor, three-dimensionally. The pattern detector is for optically detecting migration patterns in the gel on the base table so as to enable the user to determine which part of the gel or which migration band thereon is of interest.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for collecting a peptide fragment, wherein a C-terminal peptide fragment is collected from a peptide fragment mixture resulting from specific cleavage of the peptide bond between a lysine residue and the C-terminal amino acid residue adjacent thereto. The apparatus has an immobilizing means, a cleaving means, a recovering means and a control means. According to the present invention, since the control means sequentially executes the immobilizing means, cleaving means and recovering means, no skillful work is required in peptide fragment collection, making it possible to collect the carboxyl-terminal peptide fragment with simple operation and high reproducibility.

Abstract: Cells and the like, such as granular cells, granular microorganisms and gel beads which embrace cells or microorganisms, are arranged on a support member in a single layer. A detector detects each optical property of the cells and the like, and detectors detect each position of the cells and the like with respect to the structure. Data obtained by the detectors are stored in a memory device. According to the stored data, a controll device moves a pickup member relatively in the three dimensional directions with respect to the support member. The pickup member picks up any of the cells and the like which has a specific optical property via an adhesive. Each of the specific cells and the like which adheres to the pickup member is releasable from the pickup member.

Abstract: In micromanipulator apparatus having fine instrument mechanism translation drivers movable along three axes within a defined space, an operating system directing uniplanar movement of the translation drivers. The system is realized in operating apparatus including a mouse as an operational data input device which, via an analogue movement thereof generating drive data, directs a correspondingly mapped uniplanar movement of the fine instrument translation drivers concerning two of the three axes, in an actual selection from a repeating sequence of dual combinations via a click button of the mouse. A controller, accordingly responsive to the drive and axes selection data input from the mouse, commands, via output to the translation drivers, movement in a plane through the two axes actually in selection.

Abstract: Apparatus for fusing cells, wherein the fusion chamber is provided with a pair of spaced electrodes whose opposite surfaces have such a vertical dimension as to prevent any nonuniform electric field from adversely affecting fusion of cells. The electrodes may comprise a pair of parallel plate electrodes or cocentrically arranged hollow cylindrical electrodes the outer one of which has an inner circumferential surface of a first radius while the inner electrode has an outer circumferential surface of a second radius smaller than the first radius, the difference between the first and second radii being sufficiently small as compared with the whole length of the radii.