Electrophoresis

Richard Mathies

Advances in sequencing the human and other genomes required new, faster and cheaper techniques for automating the process. Fundamental research on polymers led to development in the 1990s of long, water-soluble polymers that could be pumped into minute capillaries yet remain viscous at the high voltages required for sequencing. Parallel developments were greatly improved reporting fluors for DNA and systems for DNA readouts from bundled capillaries.

Scientific Impact: The DNA sequencing using capillary electrophoresis allowed much greater automation, with much higher throughputs and further cost reductions due to reduced reagent use. The techniques developed in the project resulted in the commercialization of the two types of DNA sequencing machines now used in all major DNA sequencing laboratories.

Social Impact: Automation of electrophoresis greatly increased the speed at which we were able to sequence the human genome, and made this research affordable for medical and other uses.

Reference: Carrilho, Emanuel, Marie C. Ruiz-Martinez, Jan Berka, Igor Smirnov, Wolfgang Goetzinger, Arthur W. Miller, David Brady, and Barry L. Karger. 1996. "Rapid DNA Sequencing of More Than 1000 Bases per Run by Capillary Electrophoresis Using Replaceable Linear Polyacrylamide Solutions," Analytical Chemistry 66:3305-3313.

Liu, Shaorong, Yining Shi, William W. Ja, and Richard A. Mathies. 1999. "Optimization of High-Speed DNA Sequencing on Microfabricated Capillary Electrophoresis Channels," Analytical Chemistry 71:566-573.

URL: http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/~ramgrp/

Technical Contact: Roland Hirsch, Medical Sciences Division, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, 301-903-9009

Press Contact: Jeff Sherwood, DOE Office of Public Affairs, 202-586-5806

SC-Funding Office: Office of Biological and Environmental Research