RIBBON CHANNEL PLATE ROTATING DRUM DNA-SEQUENCING DEVICE

A new design DNA sequencing electrophoresis device is described. The d evice, called the ribbon channeled plate rotating drum (rprd), consist s of two major components, the plate assembly and the drum assembly. T he plate assembly contains a machined oi etched plate of individual mi cro-channels called the ribbon channeled plate. The ribbon channeled p late and other components of the plate assembly combine the advantages of thin gels and capillary arrays in a single unit with few of the di sadvantages. The other major component of rprd is the drum assembly, w hich facilitates direct blotting onto deposition membranes affixed to a large plastic drum. The drum with attached membrane and deposited el ectrophoretically resolved ladders is easily moved to special units fa cilitating downstream processing and detection. The drum unit, althoug h versatile, is specifically designed to be used with multiplex sequen cing.