Product category:
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
News Release from: Qiagen | Subject: Qiaxcel
Edited by the Laboratorytalk Editorial
Team on 30 January 2008
Qiaxcel is faster than slab-gel
electrophoresis
Qiagen has announced the launch of Qiaxcel, an automated system that will replace tedious and time-consuming methods of nucleic acid separation in low- to high-throughput laboratories
Qiaxcel, which is designed to take the place of traditional slab-gel analysis, is said to be characterised by an unprecedented sensitivity - detecting concentrations of nucleic acids as small as 0.1ng/ul Nucleic acid separation technologies are widely used for quality control or as an analytical tool, such as to determine the size of DNA fragments, or obtain more information on an organism's genetic composition
This article was originally published on Laboratorytalk on 20 Aug 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Bulk recombinant enzymes
The efficient and highly specific removal of His tags offered by the TagZyme system makes it the ideal choice for the generation of proteins free from vector-encoded amino acids
A hot concept for high-fidelity PCR
Qiagen introduces ProofStart DNA polymerase, a new proofreading enzyme for robust, high-fidelity PCR promising extremely low error rates Proofreading enzymes utili
Currently, the most commonly used method for nucleic acid separation is gel electrophoresis, using manually poured slab gels.
However, this method is highly labour-intensive and exposes users to hazardous chemicals such as ethidium bromide.
The Qiaxcel system overcomes the bottlenecks of manual gel preparation, making nucleic acid separation easier and faster than ever.
The system uses ready-to-go gel cartridges that allow samples to be prepared with minimal hands-on interaction, reducing manual handling errors and avoiding exposure to toxic reagents.
QIAxcel can analyse up to 96 samples per run; 12 protocols can be performed in as little as five minutes.
Preprogrammed protocols, in combination with corresponding gel cartridges, allow separation and analysis of a variety of nucleic acids, including singleplex or multiplex PCR fragments, DNA digested with restriction endonucleases, synthesised oligonucleotides, total RNA, and complementary RNA (cRNA).
The high detection sensitivity provided by the Qiaxcel analyser enables reproducible results, even with low nucleic acid concentrations.
With resolution as low as 3-5bp, the Qiaxcel analyser delivers greater accuracy than slab-gel analysis and a high degree of confidence in data interpretation.
"With Qiaxcel, we are proud to bring nucleic acid separation to a higher level of efficiency than previously seen in our industry".
"The system can be handled easily with little user training, thus enabling a smooth implementation into the laboratory," said Wolfgang Leibinger, global business director of automated systems at Qiagen.
The Qiaxcel instrument is intended to be used only in combination with Qiaxcel kits for applications described in the respective Qiaxcel kit handbooks.
Qiaxcel kits are intended for research only; not for use in diagnostic procedures.
• Qiagen: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Laboratorytalk email newsletter
• Laboratorytalk Home Page
