Affiliations: [a] Department of Convergence Software, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea | [b] Bio-IT Research Center Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Chan-Young Park, Department of Convergence Software, Hallym University, 1 Okcheon-dong, Chuncheon, Gangwon 24252, Korea. E-mail:cypark@hallym.ac.kr
Abstract: Many image acquisition methods of nucleic acids still
depend on UV illumination, especially after the electrophoresis when
determining the size of the target DNA. Therefore the quality of the UV
illuminator in the gel documentation system, and the comparison of the
fluorescence detected are crucial. This paper presents a fluorescence
standard reference plate using quantum dots compared to the conventional
method where an agarose gel containing ethidium bromide is loaded with
standard samples. The fluorescence standard reference plate consists of
chambers filled with commercially available quantum dots such as phosphor
dots. The chamber is made by thermally attaching nylon and polyester, the
former on the inside and the latter on the outside, for increased stability.
The images of the proposed reference plate were captured more than 2 months
in regular intervals. The intensity analysis of the images shows that the
proposed reference plate delivers stable fluorescence over a long term
period. The proposed reference plate can be utilized to compare the
performance of various UV illuminators, or to set a standard fluorescence
point for certain analyses.
Keywords: Gel documentation system, gel image analysis, DNA detection, UV illuminator, quantum dots
