 |
Electrophoresis
 |
| Richard
Mathies |
Advances in sequencing the human
and other genomes required new, faster
and cheaper techniques for automating
the process. Fundamental research
on polymers led to development in
the 1990s of long, water-soluble polymers
that could be pumped into minute capillaries
yet remain viscous at the high voltages
required for sequencing. Parallel
developments were greatly improved
reporting fluors for DNA and systems
for DNA readouts from bundled capillaries.
Scientific Impact:
The DNA sequencing using capillary
electrophoresis allowed much greater
automation, with much higher throughputs
and further cost reductions due to
reduced reagent use. The techniques
developed in the project resulted
in the commercialization of the two
types of DNA sequencing machines now
used in all major DNA sequencing laboratories.
Social Impact: Automation
of electrophoresis greatly increased
the speed at which we were able to
sequence the human genome, and made
this research affordable for medical
and other uses.
Reference: Carrilho,
Emanuel, Marie C. Ruiz-Martinez, Jan
Berka, Igor Smirnov, Wolfgang Goetzinger,
Arthur W. Miller, David Brady, and
Barry L. Karger. 1996. "Rapid DNA
Sequencing of More Than 1000 Bases
per Run by Capillary Electrophoresis
Using Replaceable Linear Polyacrylamide
Solutions," Analytical Chemistry
66:3305-3313.
Liu, Shaorong, Yining Shi, William
W. Ja, and Richard A. Mathies. 1999.
"Optimization of High-Speed DNA Sequencing
on Microfabricated Capillary Electrophoresis
Channels," Analytical Chemistry
71:566-573.
URL:
http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/~ramgrp/
Technical Contact:
Roland Hirsch, Medical Sciences Division,
Office of Biological and Environmental
Research, 301-903-9009
Press Contact: Jeff
Sherwood, DOE Office of Public Affairs,
202-586-5806
SC-Funding Office:
Office of Biological and Environmental
Research |
