Cloning Of DNA Molecules Research Articles

PaR-PaR Laboratory Automation Platform

Labor-intensive multistep biological tasks, such as the construction and cloning of DNA molecules, are prime candidates for laboratory automation. Flexible and biology-friendly operation of robotic equipment is key to its successful integration in biological laboratories, and the efforts required to operate a robot must be much smaller than the alternative manual lab work. To achieve these goals, a simple high-level biology-friendly robot programming language is needed. We have developed and experimentally validated such a language: Programming a Robot (PaR-PaR). The syntax and compiler for the language are based on computer science principles and a deep understanding of biological workflows. PaR-PaR allows researchers to use liquid-handling robots effectively, enabling experiments that would not have been considered previously. After minimal training, a biologist can independently write complicated protocols for a robot within an hour. Adoption of PaR-PaR as a standard cross-platform language would enable hand-written or software-generated robotic protocols to be shared across laboratories.

ET recombination: DNA engineering using homologous recombination in E. coli.

Recombinogenic engineering, or the modification and cloning of DNA molecules via homologous recombination, has opened up a new era. In contrast to conventional cloning strategies, recombinogenic engineering can be carried out at virtually any chosen position on a given target DNA molecule (which can be small or large). Any type of modification, including sequence deletions, substitutions, and insertions can be carried out via homologous recombination. Because homologous recombination is a precise process of high fidelity, recombinogenic engineering generates DNA clones efficiently and with high precision.