One hundred channel electrophoresis prototypes for application to an ultra-high throughput mutational spectrometer

Mutation detection within the human genome is becoming an increasingly important field today. It is possible that with a correlation between diseases and the mutations that cause them, new therapeutic treatments could be developed against many of today's common diseases In order to accomplish mutation detection, 1012 gene segments may be needed, requiring a significant increase in current technologies An instrument termed an Ultra-high throughput mutational spectrometer (UTMS) uses a process known as constant denaturing capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) to detect mutations in 10,000 capillaries simultaneously. The UTMS is at a 100-capillary proof of concept stage to successfully perform CDCE. In order for this stage to be successful, multiple subsystems of the device must work in unison, including thermal control, optical detection, electrical and fluidic connectivity. In this thesis, multiple devices were created to work in conjunction with previously existing instruments, including a passively aligned 100-port buffer reservoir and DNA injection loading plate. These devices were used to perform electrophoresis on DNA fluorescent primers in order to test the functionality of the UTMS 100-stage concept.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Beltran, Michael J. (Michael Joseph)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ian W. Hunter.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/40398

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/40398