The MiniSlot™ and Miniblotter^® instruments enable the operator to perform checkerboard DNA hybridizations and antibody blots as described by Socransky et al. (BioTechniques 17:788-792 (1994)). Up to 1,350 independent hybridizations can be simultaneously performed on a single membrane using these instruments. Compared with ELISA or dot blot methods, the checkerboard approach permits simultaneous analysis of many more independent reactions - up to an order of magnitude more than a conventional 96-well plate - and requires much smaller volumes of reagents, not to mention fewer pipetting manipulations. Checkerboard hybridizations and antibody-antigen interactions can be detected by all conventional methods, including enzyme conjugates, chemiluminescence and radiolabels.

1. Horizontal bands of DNA or antigen are first fixed on the surface of a blotting membrane using a MiniSlot Unit. Solutions pipetted into the unit's slots are drawn through the membrane under vacuum, depositing parallel stripes of DNA or antigen on the surface which span the width of the membrane.
2. The membrane is then transferred to a Miniblotter unit of corresponding dimensions. DNA probes or antibodies are introduced into the Miniblotter's parallel vertical channels and incubated on the membrane surface. Each DNA probe or antibody (vertical channels) thus contacts each target DNA sequence or antigen on the membrane (horizontal stripes), resulting in a checkerboard DNA hybridization or antibody-antigen interaction assay.

[Back to top]

MiniSlot 10 Unit

• 10 horizontal bands of DNA or antigen are first fixed on the surface of a blotting membrane using the MiniSlot Unit
• Dimensions compatible with most minigel electrophoresis chambers:
  • Channel dimension: 0.8mm x 8.7cm
  • Blot width covered: 9.0 x 5.5cm
• Can be used with any of the Miniblotters for minigels allowing between 160 and 280 reactions.
  • MiniSlot 10 plus Miniblotter 28 = 280 analysis
  • MiniSlot 10 plus Miniblotter 20 = 200 analysis
  • MiniSlot 10 plus Miniblotter 16 = 160 analysis
• Instruments function with all detection methods (i.e., enzymatic, radioactive, chemiluminescence).
• Cat # SB-10

[Back to top]

MiniSlot 30 Unit

  click image to enlarge

• 30 horizontal bands of DNA or antigen are first fixed on the surface of a blotting membrane using the MiniSlot Unit
• Dimensions compatible with most standard electrophoresis chambers:
  • Channel dimension: 0.8 mm x 13 cm
  • Blot width covered: 13 x 13 cm
• Can be used with any of the Miniblotters for Regular Gels:
  • MiniSlot 30 plus Miniblotter 45 = 1350 reactions
  • MiniSlot 30 plus Miniblotter 25 =750 reactions
• Instruments function with all detection methods (i.e., enzymatic, radioactive, chemiluminescence).
• Cat # SB-30

[Back to top]