Development Of A New Miniaturised And Portable Battery Powered Gel Electrophoresis System For DNA, RNA And Protein Analysis

Abstract

Electrophoresis originated since 1807 and has been a staple tool used by biologist and chemist over the centuries since its inception. From paper electrophoresis system to today’s modern automated electrophoresis system, the development of electrophoresis systems have been driven by the advancement of technology and the requirement for better and faster resolution of results. However, minimal development has been observed in miniaturization of the system to allow portability of the electrophoresis systems. This project studies the feasibility of creating a portable electrophoresis system using an independent power supply instead of relying on a wall socket as per conventional electrophoresis system. Seven prototypes were designed and tested for the duration of the project, focusing on improving miniaturization, portability and efficiency. The Prototype seven (Circuit board coupled) was designed in collaboration with University Putra Malaysia engineering department. A Printed Circuit Board was designed to boost and maintain the output voltage of the battery to the prototype. The prototype systems were tested by comparing its efficiency against conventional electrophoresis equipment. All systems used similar parameter of 45v for 1 hour in 1% agarose powder. Results showed similar resolution and resolving ability in the Prototype seven (Circuit board coupled) when compared to the commercial electrophoresis system in separating DNA ladder and samples.