Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Vision Assisted Robotics and Tape Technology in the Life-Science Laboratory: Applications to Genome Analysis

Abstract

Recent proposals to analyze a number of major genomes have created a need for methods of rapidly manipulating and assaying very large numbers of specimens containing DNA fragments. Systems for sampling semi-solid biological material from mixed disordered arrays are required. These samples need to be sorted in an ordered format and stored in minimum space at known locations. It should be possible to recall them quickly from stock, individually or collectively, for duplication or re-ordering into new arrays for appropriate analysis. This article reviews a range of problems associated with high speed multiple specimen handling and assay in the molecular biology laboratory and outlines the solutions currently available to address these difficulties. Designs for automatic systems to manipulate bio-samples and analyze DNA are presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Olsen, M., Hood, L., Cantor, C. and Bostein, D. 1989. A common language for physical mapping of the human genome. Science 245: 1434–1435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Roberts, L. 1989. New game plan for genome mapping. Science 245: 1438–1440.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Beckmann, J.S. and Soller, M. 1990. Toward a unified approach to genetic mapping of eucaryotes based on sequence tagged microsatellite sites. Bio/Technology 8: 930–932.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Burke, D.T., Carle, G.F. and Olsen, M.V. 1987. Cloning of large segments of exogenous DNA into yeast by means of artificial chromosome vectors. Science 236: 806–812.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Drmanac, R., Laqbat, I., Brukner, I. and Crkvenjakov, R. 1988. Sequencing of megabase plus DNA by hybridisation: Theory of the method. Genomics 4: 114–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Rommens, J.M., Ianuzzi, M.C., Kerem, B., Drumm, M.C., Melmer, G., Dean, M., Rozmahel, R., Cole, J.L., Kennedy, D., Hidaka, N., Zsiga, M., Buchwald, M., Riordan, J.R., Tsui, L.P. and Collins, F.S. 1989. Identification of the cystic fibrosis gene: Chromosome walking and jumping. Science 245: 1059–1065.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Evans, G.A. and Lewis, K.A. 1989. Physical mapping of complex genomes by cosmid multiplex analysis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 86: 5030–5034.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Evans, G.A., Lewis, K. and Rothenberg, B.E. 1989. High efficiency vectors for cosmid microcloning and genomic analysis. Gene 79: 9–20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Michiels, F., Craig, A.G., Zehetner, G., Smith, G.P. and Lehrach, H. 1987. Molecular approaches to genome analysis: a strategy for the construction of ordered overlapping clone libraries. Cabios 3: 203–210.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Craig, A., Nizetic, D., Hoheisel, J., Zehetner, G. and Lehrach, H. 1990. Ordering of cosmid clones covering the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) genome: A test case for fingerprinting by hybridisation. Nucleic Acids Res. 18: 2653–2660.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Wallace, R.B., Shaffer, J., Murphy, R.H., Hirose, T. and Itakura, K. 1979. Hybridisation of synthetic oligonucleotides to φx174 DNA. The effect of a single base pair mismatch. Nucl. Acids Res. 16: 3543–3557.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bains, W. and Smith, G.C. 1988. A novel method for nucleic acid sequence determination. J. Theor. Biol. 135: 303–307.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Khrapko, K.R., Lysov, Y.P., Khorlyn, A.A., Shik, V.V., Florentiev, V.L. and Mirzabekov, A.D. 1989. An oligonucleotide hybridisation approach to DNA sequencing. FEBS Lets. 256: 118–122.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Jasiobedzki, P. and Martin, W.J. 1989. Processing of bacterial colony images for automatic isolation and transfer. J. Phys. E. Sci. Instr. 22: 364–367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Martin, W.J. 1988. Charting the human genome—a design role for the life-science laboratory instrument engineer. J. Phys. E. Sci. Instr. 21: 336–347.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Courtney, P., Beck, M.S. and Martin, W.J. 1990. A vision guided life-science laboratory robot. Measurement Science and Technology (Submitted).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Martin, W.J. and Sims, P.F.G. 1990. Instrumenting access to the human genome (120 pages, 130 references). The Human Genome Management Information System. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Martin, W., Walmsley, R. Vision Assisted Robotics and Tape Technology in the Life-Science Laboratory: Applications to Genome Analysis. Nat Biotechnol 8, 1258–1262 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1290-1258

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1290-1258

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing