© 1999 Macmillan Magazines Ltd

for cDNA library screening, primer synthesisand nucleic-acid hybridization. The UVcrosslinker provides a short-wave radiationexposure chamber for bonding nucleic acidto a medium, usually before hybridization.Reader Service No. 102

Thermo Sequenase IIFrom Amersham Pharmaciawww.apbiotech.com

A DNA sequencing enzyme evolves

Thermo Sequenase II is the successor toThermo Sequenase, which was launched inJuly 1995. Thermo Sequenase II has severaladvantages over its predecessor, including:shorter cycling times; greater efficiency indifficult-to-read regions of DNA (troublespots with high G+C content); tolerance tohigh-salt environments; and better incor-poration of dyes for easier clean-up steps.Reader Service No. 103

DNA purification systemFrom AutoGen www.autogen.com

Sequence-quality DNA

The 850 Alpha DNA purification systempurifies sequence-quality DNA from BACs,plasmids and M13, and has new protocolsfor plant material and mouse tail. When therun is completed the DNA is ready to use inapplications such as fluorescent sequencing,PCR and restriction digests.Reader Service No. 104

Universal supportFrom Beckman Coulter, Inc.www.beckmancoulter.com

Universal support for DNA or RNA synthesis

Beckman Coulter’s new universal linkerCPG (controlled pore glass) solid-supportsystem uses a volatile, non-salt cleavage anddeprotection reagent. The manufacturersrecommend the support for high-through-put production facilities, where the fact thatit does not require a secondary purification

step to remove salt comes into its own.Reader Service No. 105

Clone 18SFrom Kamiya www.kamiyabiomedical.com

Anti-DNA polymerase b monoclonalantibody for DNA-repair research

This monoclonal (clone 18S) is directedagainst DNA polymerase b, a 39K enzymewhich fills single-nucleotide gaps producedby the base-excision repair pathway of mam-malian cells. The antibody binds DNA poly-merase b from human, cow, mouse, rat,hamster and Xenopus. Crossreactivity withother species has not been tested. The anti-body does not inhibit polymerase activityReader Service No. 106

FastTagFrom Vector Laboratories www.vectorlabs.com

A fluorescent nucleic-acid labelling kit

The FastTag Texas Red nucleic-acid labellingkit couples non-radioisotopic labels to DNA,RNA or oligonucleotides. Heat- or photo-activation is used to uniformly incorporate auniversal FastTag linker arm into the nucleicacid. The fluorescent Texas Red maleimidelabel is covalently attached to the nucleic acidvia the FastTag linker arm. Applications forthese labelled nucleic acids include in situhybridization, Southern and northern blothybridization, PCR amplification, andcolony and plaque hybridization. Reader Service No. 107

Biotech PhotometerFrom WPA www.wpaltd.co.uk

A photometer for DNA analysis

The WPA UV1101 Biotech Photometer isconfigured to simplify routine analysis ofDNA/RNA, including A260,280 purity values.There is no warm-up time and the unit willaccept samples down to 70 ml. The UV1101

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Quantum PrepFrom Bio-Rad www.bio-rad.com

Multiple-sample DNA preparation in 96-wellformat for robotic sequencing

The latest addition to the Quantum Preprange from Bio-Rad is a 96-well-formatminiprep kit for the preparation of multiplesamples of plasmid DNA for high-through-put automated sequencing. Yields are up to15 mg plasmid DNA per well, so concentra-tions are sufficient for immediate use insequencing reactions. This minimizes thenumber of preps required and can eliminateDNA desalting and concentration steps.Reader Service No. 100

DNAEtoxFrom Sterogene Bioseparationswww.sterogene.com

Remove endotoxin from DNA preparations

DNAEtox is a solid-phase reagent for theremoval of endotoxin from plasmid and syn-thetic DNA intended for gene therapy appli-cations. Binding capacity is up to 1,000 EUper ml. Affinity of the immobilized ligandfor DNA is low, for a claimed mass yield thattypically exceeds 90%. DNAEtox can beregenerated with 1 M NaOH and sterilizedby autoclaving. The reagent is used either ina batch or in a chromatography column.Reader Service No. 101

HybriLinker HL-2000From UVP www.uvp.com

Hybridizer and crosslinker combined

The HL-2000 HybriLinker hybridizationoven combines the HB-1000 hybridizer witha 254-nm ultraviolet crosslinker in a singleunit. The hybridizer creates the conditions

The ABC of DNAAmplification, blood DNA, cloning kits, detectors and other aids to handling or preparing DNA make up this week’sselection of recently introduced products.

Cooking up hybrids: UVP’s combination oven.

By-pass the salt, with Bio-Rad’s new kit.

Not a UV/VIS spectrophotometer, from WPA.

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new on the market

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is marketed as compact, low-cost alternativeto the UV/VIS spectrophotometer and is alsocheaper to run. The photometer can be usedin both the UV- and visible regions andcomes with filters at 260, 280 and 600 nm,enabling bacterial growth rates to be mea-sured. Other filter wavelengths are available.Reader Service No. 108

Molecular biochemicalsFrom Roche www.roche.com/diagnostics

Call 01273 480 444 (UK) for a copy

The 1999 Molecular Biochemicals Cataloguefrom Roche Diagnostics covers over 2,500products and includes sections on apoptosis,non-radioactive systems and quantitativePCR. Under the PCR heading there is anexpanded range of reagents for nucleic-acidstudies, as well as the LightCycler system forperforming PCR in less than 30 minutes.Reader Service No. 109

mtDNA Extractor WB KitFrom Wako www.wakousa.com

NaI procedure for whole blood

Wako’s mtDNA Extractor WB Kit providesan efficient protocol for isolation of mtDNAfrom human whole blood, regardless of thepresence of anticoagulants. The procedure

can be performed in about 90 minutes. ThemtDNA preparation has low contaminationof genomic DNA and is suitable for use withrestriction enzymes and PCR amplification.Reader Service No. 110

DNAzol and DNAzol BDFrom Molecular Research Centrewww.mrcgene.com

New reagents for DNA isolation from blood

DNAzol and DNAzol BD (for ‘BloodDerivatives’) are ready-to-use reagents thatextract genomic and/or viral DNA fromwhole blood. The reagents contain a novelguanidine–detergent lysing mixture that pro-motes selective precipitation of DNA. Smallaliquots of whole blood (200 ml to 1 ml) pro-vide sufficient DNA to visualize stained sam-ples in agarose gels following electrophoreticseparation and for successful amplificationreactions. Genomic DNA yield from humanwhole blood is 30–40 mg DNA per ml blood.Reader Service No. 111

RT-PCR kitFrom Hybaid www.hybaid

Single-tube PCR

The ExpeRT RT-PCR kit has been developedfor RT-PCR in a one-tube format. A new

buffer system is used to achieve RT-PCR offragments up to 6 kb in a single step. Thebuffer composition is also claimed to reduceproblems with secondary structures in RNAtemplates and to increase the specificity ofprimers. The kit comprises AMV reversetranscriptase which can be used at tempera-tures as high as 60°C and Hybaid’sProofSprinter (Taq /Pwo) enzyme mix. Thekit is suitable for in situ RT-PCR as well as fortube-based RT-PCR.Reader Service No. 112

TdT monoclonalFrom BioGenex www.biogenex

Antibody to terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase

The monoclonal TdT88 reacts specificallywith TdT in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. In normal tissue,TdT is found in a subpopulation of corticalthymocytes and bone-marrow lymphocytes.Abnormal TdT expression has been reportedin acute lymphocytic leukaemia and chronicmyeloid leukaemia. The antibody is availablein concentrated form or optimized for Super-Sensitive detection systems. The antibody iscurrently available for in vitro diagnostic use.Reader Service No. 113

GenePrint PowerPlexFrom Promega UK www.euro.promega.com

Single-tube amplification and sequencing

The GenePrint PowerPlex 1.2 System is opti-mized for use with the ABI PRISM 310genetic analyser and PRISM 377 DNAsequencer. It facilitates simultaneous single-tube amplification and two-colour detectionof eight polymorphic STR loci plusAmelogenin. High-throughput analysis isachieved by comparing amplified sampleDNA fragments directly with the allelic lad-der present for each locus.Reader Service No. 114

TOPO cloning kitsFrom Invitrogen www.invitrogen.com

New vectors for cloning and sequencing

Two new TOPO cloning kits are availablethat allow ligation of PCR products gener-ated with proofreading or nonproofreadingthermostable polymerases. The vectors areprovided linearized and activated with topo-isomerase I, which permits 5-minute liga-tion. The TOPO TA Cloning Kit forSequencing and the Zero Blunt TOPO PCRCloning Kit for Sequencing are engineeredto contain the T7, T3, M13 forward andM13 reverse priming sites as close to theinsert as 33 base pairs. This minimizes theamount of plasmid DNA sequence thatneeds to be read before reading the sequenceof the clone. Reader Service No. 115

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and size of the 8 linear PMT channels matchthose of the plates, making direct measure-ments of optical signals possible.Reader Service No. 117

Gel tankFrom Flowgen www.flowgen.co.uk

A gel apparatus for screening PCR products

The new 30225-cm horizontal tank from

Flowgen is recommended for multi-sampleanalytical PCR as it allows fast and con-venient screening. It is fully compatible with8- and 12-well multichannel pipettes andspecial sample combs have been designed forthis purpose. A 10225-cm unit is also avail-able, retaining full multichannel pipettecompatibility with lower consumable use.When using a 96-well PCR machine, allsamples can be screened on a single gel. Thissystem is also compatible with MADGE gels.Reader Service No. 118

EZSwitchFrom Robbins Scientific www.robsci.com

Gel loaders for the ABI 377 DNA sequencer

EZSwitch DNA sequence gel loaders arecompatible with the ABI 377 DNAsequencer with 96-lane upgrade. The gelloader is a lightweight, hand-held dispenserequipped with eight 5-ml syringes. TheEZSwitch gel loader changes spacing bymoving all of the syringes in the array, notby bending the syringe needles, which canmake loading samples difficult. Syringe needles also have flexible tips that resistdamage and can be easily replaced.Reader Service No. 119

GMS microarray analyserFrom Genetic Microsystemswww.geneticmicro.com

A DNA microarray system brought down to size

The GMS Microarray Analysis System, sayGenetic Microsystems, allows individualresearchers to prepare reproducible micro-arrays of DNA and rapidly capture high-resolution images of hybridized arrays, intheir own labs, in experiments of their owndesign. The system consists of two bench-top modules: the GMS 417 Arrayer and theGMS 418 Array Scanner. The computer-controlled system uses a Windows inter-face and includes software tools for instru-ment operation and data analysis.Reader Service No. 120

These notes are compiled in the Nature officefrom information provided by the manufacturers.For more details, fill in the reader service cardbound inside the journal.

new on the market

284 NATURE | VOL 399 | 20 MAY 1999 | www.nature.com

Neutra-Plasma 50From Neutra-Plasma

Decontamination? Pop it in the microwave

The Neutra-Plasma 50 beaker, launched thisweek at the Laboratory Show in London’sOlympia, decontaminates reaction tubes forPCR in only 30 seconds using a domesticmicrowave oven. The lidded container com-prises an enclosed quartz vessel which pro-duces UV light at the germicidal wavelengthof 253.7 nm. This introduces pyrimidinedimers into contaminating DNA molecules,rendering them incapable of amplification inthe PCR process. The beaker may also be ofuse in other areas where microbial contami-nation is a problem.Reader Service No. 116

Multichannel detectorFrom Hamamatsu www.hamamatsu.com

A detector for DNA sequencing

The R5319 Multichannel PMT detects low-light-level luminescence from samples inmicrotitre plates with single-photon count-ing on each channel. Microtitre plates arewidely used for DNA sequencing. The pitch

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