While the spectrophotometer is a generally a lab staple, it is not generally regarded as the most reliable source for measuring quality and especially quantity. Spectrophotometers are great for getting a sense for sample purity and an estimate of concentration but if your sample is not the most pure, the measurements should not be relied upon for assays that require more stringent practices.
The Molecular Genomics Core offers quality and quantity assessment of RNA and DNA for investigators that are looking for more precise measurements. The Core houses the following instruments to meet our customer’s needs.
Thermofisher Qubit 3.0
The Qubit is a fluorometer utilizing fluorescent dyes that are specific to the target of interest. These fluorescent dyes emit only when bound to the target molecules, even at low concentrations.
Tecan Infinite M200Pro Scanner
The Tecan microplate reader is used in conjunction with fluorescent dyes from Thermofisher called Picogreen or Ribogreen to measure concentration of DNA and RNA respectively. Picogreen binds to DNA molecules while Ribogreen binds to RNA molecules and the microplate reader is used to read these fluorescent emissions. This method allows the MGC to measure concentration in a high throughput manner.
Agilent 4200 TapeStation System
The Tapestation is an automated electrophoresis instrument that measures quality and size distribution of DNA and RNA molecules. The Tapestation assays require very little sample input and a fraction of the time to run batches compared to traditional methods of gel electrophoresis making it a useful tool in the lab.