Customer Application (system support)
Promega's DNA IQ* DNA Isolation System Automated on the Beckman Coulter Biomek® 2000 Laboratory Workstation
Promega Corporation – www.promega.com
Beckman Coulter and Promega have teamed up to provide automated sample preparation for DNA typing to the forensic community. The solution pairs Promega's new DNA IQ* DNA Isolation System and AluQuant* Human DNA Quantitation System with the Biomek 2000.
Purification methods commonly used, such as phenol/chloroform extraction, use hazardous organic chemicals, can require multiple centrifugation steps, may result in significant loss of material and can introduce amplification inhibitors. Purification using silica-based technology utilizes the affinity of DNA for silica and does not require organic components. Silica filters are convenient when used with a filtration system however, they tend to give lower yields and require extensive washing to remove the lysis buffer.
Promega's DNA IQ System uses a novel technology with magnetic particles to prepare clean samples for short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. The DNA IQ System simultaneously extracts, isolates and quantitates DNA from various sources. It can be used either to extract a constant 100ng of DNA from database samples on a variety of supports (i.e. bloodstain cards, buccal swabs, liquid blood), or to obtain purified DNA free of PCR* inhibitors from diverse casework sample types.
We have developed configurations of the Biomek 2000 Laboratory Automation Workstation specifically for the automation of the DNA IQ and AluQuant Systems. The Biomek 2000 automates the pipetting, magnetic separation, heating and shaking/mixing steps of the protocols, improving performance and productivity.
Features
- Ability to process different sample types with same chemistry and automation - liquid blood, buccal swabs, stains, etc.
- Magnetic resin technology does not use hazardous organic chemicals, which means it's safer for the environment and examiners.
- The power of automation allows the examiner to process more samples in less time.
- The quantity of resin normalizes samples DNA recovered when large amounts of samples are used.
* All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Where applicable, the PCR process is covered by patents owned by Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., and F. Hoffman-LaRoche, Ltd.
