Analyst Plate Reader

The Analyst plate reader is a versatile instrument that offers detection based on fluorescence, fluorescence polarization, luminescence, absorbance, and time resolved FRET. It will operate in 96 and 384 well plate format, and is available for use in the facility during normal working hours following training.   An annual training fee for use of the Analyst plate reader will be assessed. In addition, a single instrument use fee will be charged weekly for all reads done that week on the instrument from a particular PI.  More information on training can be found here.

To use the Analyst plate reader, please sign up here. Be sure to put your name in the "subject" box and your phone number and lab PI in the "description" box.  To make certain changes to your reservation you will need to contact facility personnel (you can make some modifications).  As a courtesy please try to make reasonable estimates for your use of time on these machines.  To schedule training or delete a scheduled date, contact cmnicolet@ucdavis.edu.

DNA Quantification

The DNA Technologies Core can quantify your DNA samples in 96 well plate format.  For this we use the PicoGreen reagent from Invitrogen Molecular Probes and carry out the readings on our Molecular Devices Analyst plate reader. PicoGreen is specific for double strand DNA: ssDNA and RNA do not bind the chemical and thus don't affect the output fluorescence. We run the assay using lambda ds DNA as a standard, and obtain linear values over a wide range of DNA concentrations, from 10 pg/ml to 10,000 pg/ml.  Our standard assay includes the setup and standards to run one plate of samples at a single dilution/sample. The assay is a relatively straightforward one so it can also be done by the users with provided reagents.  More information about setting up an assay can be found in this protocol.  PicoGreen is relatively unaffected by a wide range of common DNA diluents, so samples can be in Tris, TE, sodium citrate, water, dilute SDS, and even dilute EtOH (<10%) without substantial impact on values.  Of course, the same diluent shoould be used for making up the standard curve. In order to read at a single dilution, we need to know the approximate concentrations within two to three orders of magnitude.  If that information is unavailable and additional dilutions are required to fall within the linear range of the assay, additional reagent and setup charges will be assessed.  Submitted samples should contain at least 10 ul volume in 96 well format; unused DNA will be returned.  Output concentrations will be provided in spreadsheet format.

Users wishing to run the assay themselves will need to be trained on our plate reader, see above for more information.