Fast multiplexed polymerase chain reaction for conventional and microfluidic short tandem repeat analysis.

The time required for short tandem repeat (STR) amplification is determined by the temperature ramp rates of the thermal cycler, the components of the reaction mix, and the properties of the reaction vessel. Multiplex amplifications in microfluidic biochip-based and conventional tube-based thermal cyclers have been demonstrated in 17.3 and 19 min, respectively.

A 768-lane microfabricated system for high-throughput DNA sequencing.

A 768-lane DNA sequencing system based on microfluidic plates has been designed as a near-term successor to 96-lane capillary arrays. Electrophoretic separations are implemented for the first time in large-format (25 cm x 50 cm) microdevices, with the objective of proving realistic read length, parallelism, and the scaled sample requirements for long-read de novo sequencing. Two 384-lane plates are alternatively cycled between electrophoresis and regeneration via a robotic pipettor.