Abstract: A fractionation method for DNA fragments according to the present invention comprises a first step of preparing a probe chip or a set of probe chips immobilizing independently a DNA probe having a first sequence part having a specific known sequence part together with a part of enzyme recognition sequence and a second sequence part composed of a combination of one to six bases adjacent to the first sequence part at 3' terminus, a second step of introducing a DNA oligomer composed of a part of enzyme recognition sequence and a sequence complementary to the known sequence part into the fragment termini of DNA fragments from restriction enzyme cleavage, and a third step of placing the probe chip or the set of probe chips in a solution containing the nucleotide fragments with the introduced DNA oligomer produced at the second step, for at least hybridization and the complementary strand extension of the DNA probe, whereby the DNA fragments are fractionated.

Abstract: A polynucleotide capturing support for capturing, eluting and collecting a plurality of target polynucleotides in a sample solution. The polynucleotide capturing support includes a substrate having a plane surface and a plurality of cells which immobilize individually different probes complementary to a plurality of target polynucleotides, and form at different regions on said plane surface of said substrate. The support includes a plurality of first electrodes which supply an electric field to each of the cells. The first electrodes are capable of eluting the target polynucleotides hybridized to the probes from each of the cells individually. The support also includes a plurality of second electrodes arranged between the adjacent cells on the surface of the substrate, and an electrode field is supplied to each of the second electrodes.

Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus includes a plurality of first capillaries containing a separation medium, such as a gel, and an optical cell in which one end of each of the first capillaries is disposed. Samples labeled with fluorophores and introduced into the first capillaries, and an electric field is applied to the first capillaries to cause the samples to migrate through the first capillaries into the optical cell. A light source excites the fluorophores with light when the samples are in the optical cell, causing the fluorophores to emit fluorescence, and a photo-detecting system detects the fluorescence emitted by the fluorophores. The ends of the first capillaries in the optical cell may be arranged in a straight line. The light source may include a He--Ne laser emitting light having a wavelength of 594 nm, and the fluorophores may include either sulforhodamine or a derivative of sulforhodamine.

Abstract: The method of base sequence determination according to the present invention ensures an effective determination of a long DNA base sequence, by providing simultaneous determination of base sequences of two or more positions of the long DNA or base sequences of two or more DNAs, using the DNA probe chip which classifies and retains the DNA oligomers having various sequences, and using fluorophorelabeled primers which have the same sequencies as the oligomers in the chip and are labeled by various fluorophores, then followed by the extension of the determined base length by re-selection of the primers complementary to the sequence thus determined.

Abstract: A capillary array electrophoresis system by which measurement is conducted using a large number of capillaries. The electrophoresis system includes a plurality of capillary array sheets stacked one on top of another wherein end portions of the capillaries at a detection region are arranged two-dimensionally in such a manner as to elute two-dimensionally a sample from the distal end of each capillary. Excitation light is applied to the sample eluted into a buffer solution, and a two-dimensional fluorescent image is picked up by a detector.

Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus for detecting samples migrating in migration portions includes a plurality of gel separation portions separate from one another and having respective ends disposed along a straight line, a plurality of migration portions equal in number to the gel separation portions and disposed along a straight line following respective ones of the gel separation portions, a light source for generating light which passes through the migration portions, the light propagating along a straight line extending through all of the migration portions, a plurality of optical fibers having respective first ends and respective second ends, the first ends of the optical fibers being disposed facing respective points where the light from the light source passes through respective ones of the migration portions, the optical fibers being equal in number to or greater in number than the migration portions, and an optical detector optically coupled to the second ends of the optical fibers for receiving light fro

Abstract: A DNA analyzing method comprising ligating the oligomer of a known base sequence to the DNA fragment obtained by digesting a sample with a restriction enzyme, hybridizing an oligomer and DNA fragment using oligomers which have the sequences of all combinations of the types of the bases within the length of several bases following the known base sequence, checking the presence or absence of hybridization or complementary DNA strand extension, identifying the DNA fragment terminal sequence from this result, and fractionating the DNA fragments and analyzing them. This DNA analyzing method provides an effective analysis of mixtures of long DNAs or DNA fragments.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously detecting a plurality of target polynucleotides in a sample on a single reaction chip and a method for separating a plurality of target polynucleotides are provided. On the reaction chip are arranged a plurality of independent cells for capturing different target polynucleotides. Different probes are immobilized onto the individual cells, and detect the cells where the target polynucleotides are captured, thereby analyzing the species of the captured target polynucleotides. Also, the individual cells function as electrodes to elute the captured target polynucleotides therethrough, thereby separating a plurality of the target polynucleotides.

Abstract: The fraction collector according to the present invention comprises a separating means composed of electrophoresis tracks to separate samples by electrophoresis, and a transferring means to transfer the separated components eluted from said electrophoresis tracks, a transferring means which comprises the capillary sample transferring tubes which are placed with their ends close to the ends of said electrophoresis tracks at the specified gap, and which transfers the separated components eluted from each electrophoresis track, a transport means to supply the buffer solution to said gap and to carry said separated component to said sample transferring tube by sheathflow of said buffer solution, a fractionating means to fractionate the separated components having moved inside said sample transfer tube, a detecting means to detect the elution of said separated component by detecting the light emitted from said separated component, and a control means to control said fractionating means based on the signal gained b

Abstract: An electrophoresis analyzer includes a light detector for detecting images of a linear fluorescence emitting region, the linear fluorescence emitting region including a plurality of fluorescence emitting points disposed along a straight line, each of the fluorescence emitting points being a point at which samples emit light including a plurality of wavelengths, the light detector including a line sensor, the line sensor including a plurality of photopixels disposed along a straight line, the photopixels constituting a detection surface of the line sensor, an image forming unit for receiving the light emitted by the samples at the fluorescence emitting points and forming a plurality of images of each of the fluorescence emitting points on the detection surface of the line sensor at mutually different positions disposed at a predetermined interval along the straight line along which the photopixels are disposed, and a filter unit disposed between the linear fluorescence emitting region and the light detector fo

Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus includes a plurality of first capillaries containing a separation medium, such as a gel, and an optical cell in which one end of each of the first capillaries is disposed. Samples labeled with fluorophores are introduced into the first capillaries, and an electric field is applied to the first capillaries to cause the samples to migrate through the first capillaries into the optical cell. A light source excites the fluorophores with light when the samples are in the optical cell, causing the fluorophores to emit fluorescence, and a photodetecting system detects the fluorescence emitted by the fluorophores. The ends of the first capillaries in the optical cell may be arranged in a straight line. The light source may include a He-Ne laser emitting light having a wavelength of 594 nm, and the fluorophores may include either sulforhodamine or a derivative of sulforhodamine.

Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus for detecting samples migrating in migration portions includes a plurality of gel separation portions separate from one another and having respective ends disposed along a straight line, a plurality of migration portions equal in number to the gel separation portions and disposed along a straight line following respective ones of the gel separation portions, a light source for generating light which passes through the migration portions, the light propagating along a straight line extending through all of the migration portions, a plurality of optical fibers having respective first ends and respective second ends, the first ends of the optical fibers being disposed facing respective points where the light from the light source passes through respective ones of the migration portions, the optical fibers being equal in number to or greater in number than the migration portions, and an optical detector optically coupled to the second ends of the optical fibers for receiving light fro

Abstract: A method for simultaneously detecting a plurality of target polynucleotides in a sample on a single reaction chip and a method for separating a plurality of target polynucleotides are provided. On the reaction chip are arranged a plurality of independent cells for capturing different target polynucleotides. Different probes are immobilized onto the individual cells, and labeled probes detect the cells where the target polynucleotides are captured, thereby analyzing the species of the captured target polynucleotides. Also, the individual cells function as electrodes to elute the captured target polynucleotides therethrough, thereby separating a plurality of the target polynucleotides.

Abstract: An optical cell or an optical detection system, of a simple structure having a small light path length, such as, for example, an optical cell having a light path length equal to that of a capillary. Light incidence and exit surfaces of the optical cell are each formed by a half transmitting mirror, and light is made incident on the optical cell in a direction perpendicular to the cell. The reflectance of the half transmitting mirror formed at the incidence surface is set smaller than that of the half transmitting mirror formed at the exit surface. The said optical cell or optical detection system is used as an optical detector portion of a sample separation and detection system which is for separation and detection of a sample using a liquid chromatography system or an electrophoresis system.

Abstract: A gel capillary electrophoresis apparatus has gel capillaries (2) filled with gel (2a) that are fixed at both ends thereof on an upper plate 5 and a lower plate (6). The gel capillaries (2) are arranged coarse on the upper plate (5) for sample injection and dense on the lower plate (6) for fluorescence detection. The apparatus is made easy in the sample injection and high in the fluorescence detection efficiency so that throughput of analysis of DNA and the like can be increased, and is available for three-dimensional electrophoresis.

Abstract: DNA molecule length can be measured with high precision and efficiency by 1) using such means as electrophoresis gel migration to orient a DNA molecule having a fluorescence label at both its termini into a straight line by its passing through a migration path having in a portion of it an area not more than several micrometers in diameter, detecting the fluorescence label at both the termini at a predetermined location and measuring the interval between the detection of the fluorescence coming from one terminus and that of the fluorescence from the other or by 2) a DNA molecule bound to a fluorescence label at one terminus and to a particle at the other being led as a whole by such means as electric field application into an aperture smaller in diameter than the particle, leaving the particle fixed at the mouth of the aperture to stretch the DNA molecule and detecting the fluorescence position to measure the distance between the bound particle and the bound fluorescence label.

Abstract: In a DNA detecting method wherein the fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus is used, Texas Red is employed as a fluorophor which labels a DNA fragment, an He-Ne laser having an emission wavelength of 594 nm is used as an excitation light, the excitation light irradiates a line portion of the gel plate simultaneously, and the resulting linear fluorescent image is collected by a cylindrical lens and photodetected thereby providing an apparatus featuring a higher sensitivity, a smaller size and a lighter weight than conventional apparatuses.

Abstract: A multicolor fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus comprises an electrophoretic device having migration lanes in which fragment groups specifically labeled by fluorophores of different light emission peak wavelengths are mixed, added, and migrated. It identifies and detects the fragment groups. It uses laser beams of different wavelengths for exciting the fluorophores in the migration lanes. The laser beams are irradiated to separate positions on the migration lanes for detection of a few kinds of fluorophores at irradiation positions. For the purpose, multicolor optical filters are arranged near the irradiation positions to identify and detect lights emitted from the fluorophores excited by wavelength at every irradiation position.

Abstract: In an apparatus for gel electrophoresis in which a sample of fluorophore-labelled DNA fragments is caused to migrate by electrophoresis through a gel electrolyte layer in an electrophoresis plate from top to bottom, thereby separating the sample into individual DNA fragments, and a laser beam is launched horizontally into said electrolyte layer from one side of the electrophoresis plate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said electrophoresis plate, with the emitted fluorescences being detected to determine the base sequences of the respective DNAS, a mirror for reflecting fluorescences is provided at the back of the electrophoresis plate in such a way that it is parallel to the direction of laser beam application, and the fluorescences reflected by this mirror are received by a fluorescence detector such as a CCD sensor or MOS linear image sensor. In one embodiment, the mirror is inclined by an angle of 45.degree.

Abstract: In the multi-color fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus provided with the electrophoresis gel plate, excitation laser source, means to separate the fluorescence images according to each emission wavelength, and the detector of the fluorescence subjected to wavelength selection, two or more laser sources are provided, each of laser lights is irradiated on the sample on a time-sharing basis, and the filter which cuts off the scattered light of each the laser synchronous with the laser beam is installed in front of the wavelength separation means thereby providing simultaneous, quick and real-time analysis of a great number of samples such as DNA and RNA labeled by many types of fluorophores, without overlapping the wavelengths of the excitation light and the fluorescence.