A CAPILLARY ARRAY GEL ELECTROPHORESIS SYSTEM USING MULTIPLE LASER FOCUSING FOR DNA SEQUENCING

摘要

A very simple and highly sensitive capillary array gel electrophoresis system is constructed to analyze DNA fragments. On-column detection of DNA migration in a large number of gel-filled capillaries is carried out using side-entry laser irradiation and with a CCD camera, although it has been considered impossible because the irradiation laser is scattered strongly at the surfaces of the first few capillaries. By optimizing optical conditions, the laser beam can be focused repeatedly to irradiate all the capillaries held on a plate by working each capillary as a cylindrical convex lens. DNA sequencing samples migrating in 24 capillaries can simultaneously be analyzed with the system.