Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of determining the genotype of a sample polynucleotide having at least a first variant site. At least a portion of the sample polynucleotide is amplified to obtain first amplicons, the first amplicons including the first variant site. The first amplicons are combined with first and second different polynucleotide controls, the first and second polynucleotide controls differing by at least one base therealong, the position of the at least one differing base corresponding to the first variant site of the sample polynucleotide. A plurality of first duplexes are prepared, each of at least some of the first duplexes comprising (i) a polynucleotide strand of one of the first amplicons and (ii) a complementary polynucleotide strand of the first polynucleotide control.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the presence of a mutation in a first sample comprising first nucleotides. The reference sample comprising reference nucleotides. The first sample and a reference sample are subjected to electrophoresis in the presence of at least one intercalating dye. During electrophoresis the temperature of the first sample and the reference sample is changed by an amount sufficient to change an electrophoretic mobility of at least one of the first or reference nucleotides. Fluorescence intensity data are obtained. The fluorescence intensity data are indicative of the presence of the first and reference nucleotides. At least one of the first sample or reference samples comprises products resulting from a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the products not having been desalted prior to electrophoresis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for separating components of a sample. The method includes obtaining a first separation of the sample components along a first dimension wherein the sample components are at least partially resolved, wherein the first separation can be performed in the absence of an electric field applied to the first dimension. An electric field is used to obtain a second separation of the sample components along a second dimension comprising a plurality of substantially isolated volumes. An intensity-time data record is obtained from each of the isolated volumes, the intensity-time data records containing peaks, each peak being indicative of a migration time. The migration time of a first peak is normalized with respect to a migration time of at least a second peak to correct for migration time differences between the isolated volumes.

Abstract: An automated capillary zone electrophoretic system is disclosed. The system employs a capillary cartridge having a plurality of capillary tubes. The cartridge has a first array of capillary ends projecting from one side of a plate. The first array of capillary ends are spaced apart in substantially the same manner as the wells of a microtitre tray of standard size. This allows one to simultaneously perform capillary electrophoresis on samples present in each of the wells of the tray. The system includes a stacked, dual carrousel arrangement to eliminate cross-contamination resulting from reuse of the same buffer tray on consecutive executions from electrophoresis. The system also has a container connected to the detection end of the capillaries. The container is provided with valving which facilitate cleaning the capillaries, loading buffer into the capillaries, introducing samples to be electrophoresced into the capillaries, and performing capillary zone electrophoresis on the thus introduced samples.

Abstract: A method for conducting capillary zone electrophoresis in which a lubricating detergent is added to help prevent sample buildup on the inner walls of the capillary. In a preferred embodiment the lubricating detergent is sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in a concentration of about 3 mM added to a protein sample before the sample is introduced into one end of a capillary. The SDS may be added to the buffer, instead of the sample, before electrophoresis.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electrophoresis separation medium having a gel matrix of at least one random, linear copolymer comprising a primary comonomer and at least one secondary comonomer, wherein the comonomers are randomly distributed along the copolymer chain. The primary comonomer is an acrylamide or an acrylamide derivative that provides the primary physical, chemical, and sieving properties of the gel matrix. The at least one secondary comonomer imparts an inherent physical, chemical, or sieving property to the copolymer chain. The primary and secondary comonomers are present in a ratio sufficient to induce desired properties that optimize electrophoresis performance. The invention also relates to a method of separating a mixture of biological molecules using this gel matrix, a method of preparing the novel electrophoresis separation medium, and a capillary tube filled with the electrophoresis separation medium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a peptide nucleic acid probe-based method for generating data indicative of the presence of a nucleotide polymorphism, mutation, or methylated cytosine in a nucleotide containing compound. A peptide nucleic acid probe (PNAP) is subjected to temperature gradient electrophoresis in the presence of a nucleotide containing compound. The PNAP is irradiated to generate a spectroscopic signal. The spectroscopic signal is converted into data suitable for determining the presence of the nucleotide polymorphism or the mutation in the nucleotide-containing compound.

Abstract: An electrophoretic system having a plurality of separation lanes is provided with an automatic calibration feature in which each lane is separately calibrated. For each lane, the calibration coefficients map a spectrum of received channel intensities onto values reflective of the relative likelihood of each of a plurality of dyes being present. Individual peaks, reflective of the influence of a single dye, are isolated from among the various sets of detected light intensity spectra, and these can be used to both detect the number of dye components present, and also to establish exemplary vectors for the calibration coefficients which may then be clustered and further processed to arrive at a calibration matrix for the system. The system of the present invention thus permits one to use different dye sets to tag DNA nucleotides in samples which migrate in separate lanes, and also allows for in-situ calibration with new, previously unused dye sets.

Abstract: A capillary electrophoresis system comprises capillaries positioned in parallel to each other forming a plane. The capillaries are configured to allow samples to migrate. A light source is configured to illuminate the capillaries and the samples therein. This causes the samples to emit light. A lens is configured to receive the light emitted by the samples and positioned directly over a first group of the capillaries and obliquely over a second group of the capillaries. The light source is further configured to illuminate the second group of capillaries more than the first group of the capillaries such that amount of light received by the lens from the first group of capillaries is substantially identical to amount of light received from the second group of capillaries when an identical amount of the samples is migrating through the first and second group capillaries.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an array reader having a light source configured to emit an excitation light, a substrate comprising a plurality of sites spatially configured as a two-dimensional array having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, where each site is configured to support a sample. The array reader includes a changing device configured to determine which of said plurality of sites is illuminated at any given instant and a detector comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensitive elements, transmission grating beam splitter (TGBS) disposed along an optical path between the substrate and the detector, and a single light focusing element disposed along an optical path between the substrate and the detector. The TGBS is configured to receive non-collimated light emitted by at least one sample illuminated by said excitation light.

Abstract: The present invention provides capillary an electrophoresis system and method for multiple simultaneous analysis of a sample. The system and method of the invention allow the ends of a plurality of capillaries to simultaneously contact a single body of electrophoresis sample contained in a compartment of a container, such as a sample contained in a well of a micro-titer tray.