A new multiplexed absorbance detection approach for high-throughput PCR analysis, enzyme assay, peptide mapping and combinatorial homogeneous catalysis screening using 96-capillary array electrophoresis

The purpose of this research is to develop a UV-vis absorbance detection approach for multiplexed capillary electrophoresis, and explore the use of multiplexed capillary electrophoresis with UV-vis absorbance detection as a high-throughput analysis technique for various types of applications.; We first introduced a novel absorbance detection approach for 96-capillary array electrophoresis. The approach involved the use of a 1024-pixel linear photodiode array on which a 96-capillary array was imaged by a camera lens. The detection limit for Rhodamine 6G for each capillary in the multiplexed array was about 1.8 x 10--8 M (S/N = 2). The cross talk between adjacent capillaries is less than 0.2%. Uniform separation efficiency and signal to noise ratio were obtain across the capillary array. Simultaneous analysis of 96 samples using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was demonstrated.; We further successfully applied the 96-capillary array electrophoresis system with UV-vis absorbance detection for high-throughput HIV diagnosis, genetic typing, enzyme assay, protein analysis by peptide mapping, and combinatorial screening of homogeneous catalytic reactions.