Australasian Biotechnology,
Volume 6 Number 5, September/October 1996, pp.285-294
Nucleic acid sequence detection systems: revolutionary
automation for monitoring and reporting PCR products
Brant J Bassam, Traci Allen, Susan Flood, Junko
Stevens, Paul Wyatt, and Kenneth J Livak
Code Number: AU96015
Size of Files:
Text: 37.0K
Graphics: Photographs (jpg) - 431.6K
Abstract
Recent technological advances at PE-Applied Biosystems have
made fully-automated real-time detection of specific PCR
products possible. Both the 7700 and 7200 sequence detection
systems integrate four major elements: (1) fluorogenic
chemistry for target-specific oligonucleotide probes; (2) an
exploitation of the polymerisation-dependant 5' nuclease
activity of the DNA polymerase; (3) instrumentation to measure
fluorescence signal within a closed PCR reaction vessel; (4)
software that processes and analyses the data. Dedicated
systems are available for simple end-point analysis of
accumulated PCR product and real-time analysis to accurately
determine initial target copy number. Real-time analysis also
allows the reaction kinetics of a PCR to be interrogated and
provides useful optimisation data. Multiple fluorophores are
used for signal normalisation, PCR controls, and multiplex
applications. These systems have been designed for
cost-effectiveness and high-throughput, and should
revolutionise nucleic acid sequence detection and genetic
screening studies.
Copyright 1996 Australian Biotechnology Association Ltd.
