Hardware and a Memory Resident Program for Simultaneous Control and Switching of Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis

Abstract We describe here the automatic switching of the electric field for PFGE systems to simultaneously control at least two PFGE experiments. For this purpose an IBM interface card was designed, that demands the execution of a specially programmed service routine based on the interruption technique. The interface card is commanded by a software program that contains a memory resident module to report the status of the electrophoresis. The approach also allows the construction of simpler switching units than those currently used. The system facilitates the study of DNA migration under different electrode geometries without disturbing the computer routine tasks. The system was validated by running simultaneously Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes and λ Hind III restriction fragments in CHEF and TAFE systems. Present Address: Program of Molecular Biomedicine. Department of Experimental Pathology, CINVESTAV IPN A.P. 14-740, Mexico 07000 D.F.