Automated Fluorescent DNA Sequencing on the ABI PRISM 377

Fluorescent automated DNA sequencing based on ″one-lane, four-dye″ technology has played a pivotal role in the success of the human genome project. One Applied Biosystems 377 sequencer can produce at least two runs per day of sequence reads averaging 750 bases in length, each run produces up to 96 reads. Improvements in sequencing chemistry (better polymerases and higher sensitivity dyes) have resulted in higher quality, more accurate sequencing data (1 ,2 ). This technology will be of enormous value in the next stage of genome sequencing, when the nature of sequence polymorphism in individual genes will be used to understand the complex relationships between genotype and phenotype. Fluorescent DNA sequencing is also rapidly becoming established as the technology of choice in basic research and clinical disciplines; methods for the molecular diagnosis of genetic disorders, pathogen identification, and genetic identification from biological specimens have all been developed and are being utilized in the field of DNA diagnostics (3 –5 ).