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Description:
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Photo -polymerized cross -linked polyacrylamide gels are becoming increasingly
important for use in micro -fabricated DNA electrophoresis systems because they allow a
concentrated sieving matrix to be precisely positioned at any location within a complex
micro -channel network . The rate of photo -initiation in the free radical gel polymerization
reaction , however , can exert a strong influence on the resulting gel structure .
Experimental data on separation resolution of single stranded DNA (ssDNA ) in photoinitiated
polyacrylamide gels is very sparse . In this study , we investigate the
performance of ssDNA electrophoresis in an ALF Express automated DNA sequencer
using various photo -initiation chemistries . Cross -linked polyacrylamide gels with
concentrations ranging from 6 to 12 %T were prepared using riboflavin , methylene blue ,
irgacure 651 and ReproGel (AP Biotech ) photo -initiators . Separation resolution is
compared with that attained in cross -linked polyacrylamide gels prepared using
conventional chemical initiators (e .g . ammonium persulfate /
Tetramethylethylenediamine ) in order to determine the polymerization conditions
necessary for optimum performance . |