Separation of PCR Fragments by Means of Direct Blotting Electrophoresis

For separation of alleles of PCR-dependent short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms, high resolution with the power to discriminate fragments differing by one base pair is often desired. Furthermore, sequencing reactions also require unambiguous one base-pair separation. For both techniques, high sensitivity for detecting small amounts of DNA and the use of nonradioactive detection methods are welcomed. Because of the high costs of automatic sequencing devices, the direct blotting electrophoresis system can be a useful alternative approach.