Low-cost modular systems for agarose gel documentation

While conducting recombinant DNA technology procedures, such as DNA purification, agarose gel electrophoresis is often used for identification, characterization and quantification of DNA. The collection of data for experiments involving such techniques frequently involves capturing images using syst...

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Main Authors: Alfredo G Gonzalez, Maribel González-García, Rafael Pérez-Ballestero
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2022-11-01
Series:BioTechniques
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Online Access:https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/btn-2022-0060
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author Alfredo G Gonzalez
Maribel González-García
Rafael Pérez-Ballestero
author_facet Alfredo G Gonzalez
Maribel González-García
Rafael Pérez-Ballestero
author_sort Alfredo G Gonzalez
collection DOAJ
description While conducting recombinant DNA technology procedures, such as DNA purification, agarose gel electrophoresis is often used for identification, characterization and quantification of DNA. The collection of data for experiments involving such techniques frequently involves capturing images using systems that are expensive and/or proprietary, such that they are not user-serviceable when they malfunction or become antiquated. In response to these limitations, work was done to replace the authors' existing aging Mac OS-based modular system with open-source software and generic hardware. Several versions of a modular imaging system that can be adjusted to fit nearly all use cases are described. The systems developed can accommodate diverse uses from research laboratories to educational environments where commercial systems could be unaffordable.
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spelling doaj-art-97a99226d3524b0bb22fea0bfaa4d83b2025-08-20T02:25:34ZengTaylor & Francis GroupBioTechniques0736-62051940-98182022-11-0173522723210.2144/btn-2022-0060Low-cost modular systems for agarose gel documentationAlfredo G Gonzalez0Maribel González-García1Rafael Pérez-Ballestero21Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA1Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA2Department of Biological & Health Sciences, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USAWhile conducting recombinant DNA technology procedures, such as DNA purification, agarose gel electrophoresis is often used for identification, characterization and quantification of DNA. The collection of data for experiments involving such techniques frequently involves capturing images using systems that are expensive and/or proprietary, such that they are not user-serviceable when they malfunction or become antiquated. In response to these limitations, work was done to replace the authors' existing aging Mac OS-based modular system with open-source software and generic hardware. Several versions of a modular imaging system that can be adjusted to fit nearly all use cases are described. The systems developed can accommodate diverse uses from research laboratories to educational environments where commercial systems could be unaffordable.https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/btn-2022-0060agarose gelDNAeducationelectrophoresisimagingLinux
spellingShingle Alfredo G Gonzalez
Maribel González-García
Rafael Pérez-Ballestero
Low-cost modular systems for agarose gel documentation
BioTechniques
agarose gel
DNA
education
electrophoresis
imaging
Linux
title Low-cost modular systems for agarose gel documentation
title_full Low-cost modular systems for agarose gel documentation
title_fullStr Low-cost modular systems for agarose gel documentation
title_full_unstemmed Low-cost modular systems for agarose gel documentation
title_short Low-cost modular systems for agarose gel documentation
title_sort low cost modular systems for agarose gel documentation
topic agarose gel
DNA
education
electrophoresis
imaging
Linux
url https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/btn-2022-0060
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