Other Services Offered

• General sizing of PCR products This technique can size multiple PCR products by fragment analysis.
• Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP ) is a mapping technique used to visualize polymorphisms in genomic DNA. Combining restriction fragment digestion and PCR, a large number of amplified restriction fragments are generated. These fragments are then separated by capillary electrophoresis and each sample yields unique banding pattern that can be used for genotyping or polymorphism detection.
• Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLP) is similar to AFLP, but does not have a PCR amplification step. This technique is an epidemiological tool that can discriminate two genomes based on restriction enzyme digestion patterns.
• Microsatellite/STR Using fluorescently labeled primers, microsatellite loci are amplified by PCR. The amplicons are then separated by capillary electrophoresis and the dye labeled products identified by fluorescence detection, followed by analysis to size and genotype the alleles.
• Conformation Analysis (LOH microsatellite analysis) This technique is used to screen tumor samples for loss of heterozygosity using microsatellite makers. A typical LOH assay compares amplified markers from the suspected cancerous tissue to the same markers from healthy tissue both from the same individual.
• SNP Genotyping This technique is use to uncover single nucleotide polymorphisms. The Genemapper software is capable of discriminating two bases at one position, as might occur in a diploid cell.

High throughput Robotic Pipetting Station
The laboratory has a Biomek FX robotic pipetting station that is capable of high throughput pipetting applications. The Biomek works using prepdesigned programs to perform a variety of functions that require pipetting in 96-well or compatible formats. Stations can be preloaded with racks of tips or plates, or special "aps" that perform certain functions, such as agitation or mixing. The robot has interchangeable pipetting heads that dictate that volume of sample that can be pipetted.