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Amplified DNA Product Separation for Forensic Analysts

Temperature Control

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Temperature Control
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (see reuse policy).

To minimize the formation of DNA secondary structures or intrastrand hybrid structures that impact DNA separation, electrophoretic separation of short tandem repeat (STR) fragments is performed at a temperature of 60°C (Butler 2004). The ABI Prism® capillary electrophoresis (CE) instruments have a heated plate to maintain the temperature of the capillary. On ABI Prism® 310 Genetic Analyzers, the capillary at the inlet and outlet ends are not directly in contact with the heat plate. It is important to maintain room temperature within a few degrees, because fluctuations in room temperature can cause variability in the runs. The newer CE instruments have improved temperature control preventing room temperature fluctuation being a significant issue.

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