Automated extraction and amplification of DNA from whole blood using a robotic workstation and an integrated thermocycler

Growing knowledge of the genetic basis of inheritable diseases has resulted in a rapidly increasing demand for DNA mutation analysis. Current methods are reliable and suitable for low-throughput mutation analyses, but are unable to cope with the increasing demand for genetic analyses, necessitating the development of new, fully automated and reliable methods. We developed a semi-automated method for DNA mutation analysis by integrating a thermocycler into a robotic pipetting workstation. DNA was extracted from 84 samples of 10 µl of EDTA-treated whole blood using magnetic beads within 2 h. Directly after isolation, the DNA was automatically transferred to an integrated thermocycler for amplification. Our semi-automated method proved to be reliable and robust, showing unambiguously interpretable PCR signals without occurrence of contamination. It is also faster than conventional manual methods. Only a brief manual intervention is required to remove and refit the seal of the PCR plate. This semi-automated assay is a step forward in the development of fully automated assays for DNA mutation analysis.