When it comes to your capillary sequencers, we always assume “Green is for go” signaling that everything is up and running smoothly.  You may be looking for the “green light” on your sequencer to ensure you’ve passed the initialization sequence, but it’s just not happening, even after rebooting.  Let’s go through just exactly what you should see.

First and foremost, when checking sequencer functionality, be certain the computer and sequencer are plugged in. Sounds like it doesn’t need to be said, but we’ve seen this issue before.  Also, if the machine has been in “idle” mode for a long period of time, it may have tripped the safety breaker and turned the machine off.  These are two items to check for immediately.

Murphy’s Law states: Whatever CAN go wrong, WILL go wrong. As hard as we all try to make sure we are careful to avoid problems, problems are an inevitable fact of life. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we’ll be able to get our machines back up and running! So whatever problem comes your way, when it comes to DNA sequencers, SeqGen is here to help.

Everyone knows to stop at a red light, slow down for a speed bump, or to walk carefully when there is a “caution, wet floor” sign. Signs are there to give us a hint about what we should do next, and luckily for you, DNA Sequencing machines give you signs to help you out.

Your sequencer is a lot like a car. It requires regular routine maintenance to ensure that all of the moving parts are working like they should be.  And just like a car, if you take care of your machine and perform regular maintenance, you can expect it to run properly for many years to come.

A coverage plan from SeqGen comes with one preventative maintenance visit per year; however, you can perform some of these functions yourself. To assist you, we’ve listed a few of the common problems and errors that can be avoided with preventative

Protecting your sequencer or qPCR is no laughing matter. For many labs, the smallest problem can cause days of downtime. Although it is impossible to avoid all of these issues, a coverage plan with SeqGen will minimize downtime so you can get back to your samples.

We’ve got you covered.

Starting in January of 2017, ThermoFisher/Life Technologies has announced that they will no longer service the ABI 3130 or 3130xl Genetic Analyzers. Their plans for the continuing maintenance of the 7900HT will also follow suit in the next couple of years.

If you have one of these machines, you’ve probably already gotten something from ThermoFisher stating that you will have to upgrade to new technology, like it or not.

Equipment downtime is the worst. Work backs up, your lab is losing money and on top of it all, you’re just plain bored.

With so many moving parts, these complex machines need routine maintenance to ensure they are in proper working condition. If you don’t have an adequate coverage plan on your equipment, it could mean many more down days for your lab.

One of the most common complaints we hear from our customers is they are seeing less than optimal results in their sequencing data. After making sure your machine is working properly, we often come to the conclusion that the issue is related to the capillary array.

Most of the time, the problem is simply a dirty capillary array. Over time, dried and degraded polymer will accumulate on the inner walls of your capillary array. This can adversely affect the resolution during sample runs and cause your results to suffer. Some common symptoms of a failing array are:

• Loss of resolution
• Broadening or “fat” peaks
• Delayed DNA peaks
• Blue or yellow bands in some, but not all of the capillaries
• One or two capillaries showing no peaks at all

Ok, so I know it’s not Spring just yet. I was quickly reminded of this fact this morning as my teeth were chattering while I brushed the snow off my car. But, warm weather is just around the corner and with it are many spring-cleaning projects.

The weather may still be cold, but now is a great time to do some cleaning around the lab. Your sequencer requires a good tune-up every year to make sure it is working properly. So to help guide you through this cleanup, we’ve listed some of the most common problems you may run into.