Update: March 2019
Both Bioruptor instruments are currently broken; the ultrasound transducers in both of the instruments apparently have reached the end of their finite lifespan. We are very sorry for the inconvenience. Please note that the Covaris sonicator is a superior substitute for all applications that provides more reproducible shearing results as well as tighter fragment size ranges. The Covaris requires however proprietary glass tubes which are available in the Core in 130 ul and 1 ml volumes. Since the Covaris was installed (5 years ago) we are suggesting all users to switch to the Covaris shearing technology.
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We have two different models of the Diagenode Bioruptor available for use in the Core. The Bioruptor NGS is used exclusively for DNA shearing and provides fragments up to 1.2 kb suitable for next gen sequencing. It is located in the lab and connected to a water cooling system, which automatically cycles on between sonication modes. The Bioruptor NGS is covered with a soundproof box, so ear protection is not required. The older model, Bioruptor UCD-200, remains in the cold room, is best used for sonication of chromatin into defined sized fragments. It is particularly well suited for integration into chromatin immunoprecipitation (“ChIP”) assays. The units are easy to use and deliver highly reproducible results. Our facility provides tube holder adapters enabling the use of 0.5, 0.6, 1.5, 2.0, or 15 ml tubes in sonication experiments, providing maximal flexibility for cell numbers and sonication volumes. This instrument is available for use on a fee for service basis through the DNA Tech and Expression Analysis Cores, once training has been completed. You must have a Genome Center account to receive training and use the Bioruptor, this can be created here if necessary. Interested users should first review the manual and protocols on the Diagenode website to become familiar with the capabilities and operating basics of the machine. You should then make an appointment with us to be trained on the instrument. Facility instruments that require user training involve training with facility personnel, not fellow labmates, for a per person training fee. For more information regarding equipment use, please consult the “Equipment” link. Please use the on-line calendar to reserve one hour time slots (half an hour for use, half an hour for the instrument to rest) during normal working hours. Put your name in the ‘subject’ box, and phone number and laboratory PI in the ‘description’ box. Indicate whether you wish to use the new NGS model or the old UCD-200 (in the cold room). If your lab has a particular DaFIS # to be used for equipment use, please indicate this as well. Finally, there are some basic use guidelines that you must be familiar with; these are also posted next to the machine.
