Re: Closet biologists story

From: Alejandro Dubrovsky (s328940@student.uq.edu.au)
Date: Wed Jan 23 2002 - 10:06:04 MST


On Wed, 2002-01-23 at 22:00, Robert J. Bradbury wrote:
>
>
> There are some hefty costs you are missing when you attempt to scale
> from a simple microbiology lab to a molecular biology lab.
> a) Water purification: $3000-5000
ouch. maybe buy the end product instead.

> b) -80 deg freezer: $3000-5000
is this definitely necessary? -15C won't do?

> c) Sterilizer: $1000-$15000
alcohol won't do?

> d) Incubator: $2000-$5000
2 grand for a heater!? are you serious? any disadvantage in using the
"use a lamp" method i read somewhere on the net?

> e) Centrifuge(s): $1000-$7000
yes, i assume for isolating ribosomes, you'd want tens of thousands of
RPMs, but just to separate DNA, what would be the minimum RPM
requirement? wouldn't a souped up fan spun for a long time do? (only
half kidding)

> f) PCR apparatus: $2000-$4000
on the cheap side, i was thinking of using manpower: 95C tub, 60C tub,
72C tub, move eppendorfs from one to the other when you think it's
appropiate. If this is too mindnumbing and feeling enterprising, grab
lego mindstorms, get it to do it for you.

> f) Microscope: $400+
i suppose

> g) Hood: $3000+
again, is it really necessary? (as opposed to, say, fan pointing out the
window)

I know it would be a very dodgy setup, but would it be good enough to
isolate prokaryotic dna, cut it up and gel it? what about eukaryotic?

Alejandro



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