GenePulser MXcell
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Gene Pulser MXcell
™
Electroporation System
Instruction Manual
Catalog #165-2670
Gene Pulser MXcell
Electroporation System
Instruction Manual
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., 2000 Alfred Nobel Drive, Hercules, CA 94547 · 800-424-6723
10010739
ii
Copyright ©2007 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Reproduction in any form, either print or electronic, is
prohibited without written permission of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
Gene Pulser MXcell™ is a trademark belonging to Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
Other brands or product names are trademarks of their respective holders.
iii
Safety and Regulatory Compliance
The Gene Pulser MXcell™ electroporation system is designed to run safely. Please read the following
sections to learn about the safe use of this system and regulatory requirements.
General Safety Information
This Bio-Rad instrument is designed and certified to meet the safety requirements of EN61010 and the
EMC requirements of EN61326 (for Class A) and conforms to the “Class A” standards for electromagnetic
emissions intended for laboratory equipment applications. This instrument is intended for laboratory
application only. It is possible that emissions from this product may interfere with some sensitive
appliances when placed nearby or in the same circuit as those appliances. The user should be aware of
this potential and take appropriate measures to avoid interference.
No part of the Gene Pulser MXcell system should be used if obvious external case damage has occurred
or the electronic displays are not functioning as described in the manual. This instrument is only to be
used with the components provided (or their authorized additions or replacements) including, but not
limited to, supplied cables and plate chamber. The operating temperature range for the Gene Pulser
MXcell system and its associated components is 18–35°C.
There are no user serviceable parts within the unit. The operator should make no attempt to open any
case cover or defeat any safety interlock. This instrument must not be altered or modified in any way.
Alteration of this instrument will result in the following:
• Void the manufacturer’s warranty
• Void the IEC 1010 safety certification
• Create a potential safety hazard
Bio-Rad is not responsible for any injury or damage caused by the use of this instrument for purposes
other than those for which it is intended or by modification of the instrument not performed by Bio-Rad or
an authorized agent.
Electrical Hazards
The Gene Pulser MXcell system produces voltages up to 500 V and is capable of passing very high
currents. When charged to maximum voltage, the instrument stores about 210 J. A certain degree of
respect is required for energy levels of this order. System safety features prevent operator access to the
high voltage and to the recessed electrode contacts inside the sample chamber. These mechanical
interlocks should never be circumvented.
The PULSE button is active whenever the character space in the lower right corner appears. There is high
voltage present whenever the PULSE button is depressed and “pulse being delivered” is shown on the
LCD display on the front of the instrument. Because of the built-in safety interlock in the Gene Pulser
MXcell plate chamber, no pulse is delivered to the electroporation plate when the plate chamber lid is
opened. If the capacitor has been partially charged but not fired (for example, when the charging cycle
has been interrupted before the pulse is delivered), some charge may remain on the internal capacitor.
This charge will dissipate over 1–2 minutes. However, the user cannot make contact with any charged
electrical components due to the system safety features.
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual | Operating Conditions
iv
Mechanical Hazards
The Gene Pulser MXcell system contains a patented arc-protection circuit that dramatically reduces the
incidence of arcing in the cuvette when high voltage is delivered into the sample. The unit incorporates a
circuit that senses the beginning of an arc and diverts current from the sample within <2 μs, preventing or
greatly reducing mechanical, visual, and auditory phenomena at the plate chamber. Should an arc occur,
the sample chamber is effective in containing these small discharges. If you prefer you can wear safety
glasses as additional protection when using the instrument.
Other Safety Precautions
Avoid spilling any liquids onto the apparatus. Use only a paper towel or a cloth wetted with either water or
alcohol to clean the outside surfaces of the Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system.
Use only the Bio-Rad cables supplied with the Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system
Use the Gene Pulser MXcell plate chamber only in the assembled condition. Do not attempt to
circumvent the protection of the plate chamber or use it while disassembled.
Read the instruction manual before using the Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system. For technical
assistance contact your local Bio-Rad office, or in the US call 1-800-4BIORAD (1-800-424-6723).
WARNING! The Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system generates, uses, and radiates
radio frequency energy. If it is not used in accordance with the instructions given in this
manual, it may cause interference with radio communications. The Gene Pulser MXcell has
been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class A computing devices (pursuant to
Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules) which provide reasonable protection against such
interference when operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause interference. In this case the user will be required, at his/her
expense, to take whatever measure may be required to correct the interference.
Operating Conditions
To safely operate the Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system, keep environmental conditions within
the following limits:
• Operate between 18
o
C and 35
o
C at 90% maximum humidity
•Store between -40
o
C and +65
o
C
• Mains voltage is 90-132 VRMS and 198-264 VRMS at 47-63 Hz; auto-select
• Maximum Input Power is 600 VA
v
Warranty
The Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system is warranted against defects in materials and
workmanship for 1 year from date of purchase. If any defects occur in the instruments or accessories
during this warranty period, Bio-Rad Laboratories will repair or replace the defective parts at its discretion
without charge. This warranty does not apply to the fuses and the following items are specifically
excluded:
1. Defects caused by improper operation.
2. Repair or modification done by anyone other than Bio-Rad Laboratories or an authorized agent.
3. Damage caused by substituting alternative parts.
4. Use of fittings or spare parts supplied by anyone other than Bio-Rad Laboratories.
5. Damage caused by accident or misuse.
6. Damage caused by disaster.
7. Corrosion caused by improper solvent or sample.
For any inquiry or request for repair service, contact Bio-Rad Laboratories and tell us the model and serial
number of your instrument.
IMPORTANT: This Bio-Rad instrument is designed and certified to meet EN61010* and the EMC
requirements of EN61326 (for Class A) safety standards. Certified products are safe to use when operated
in accordance with the instruction manual. This instrument should not be modified or altered in any way.
Alteration of this instrument will cause the following results:
• Void the manufacturer's warranty
• Void the EN61010 safety certification
• Create a potential safety hazard
Bio-Rad Laboratories is not responsible for any injury or damage caused by the use of this instrument for
purposes other than those for which it is intended, or by modifications of the instrument not performed by
Bio-Rad Laboratories or an authorized agent.
*EN61010 is an internationally accepted electrical safety standard for laboratory instruments.
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual | Warranty
vi
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual
vii
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview of the Gene Pulser MXcell™ Electroporation System. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Bio-Rad Resources and References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Writing Conventions Used in This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter 2. Get Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Unpacking and Setting Up the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Setting Up the Gene Pulser MXcell System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Introduction to the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Well Sets and Quadrants in Electroporation Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chapter 3. Prepare Mammalian Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Preparation of Mammalian Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Reagents and Solutions for Electroporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 4. Program and Run the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Turning on the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Protocol Set-Up Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Gradient Protocol Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
User Protocols Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Pre-Set Protocols Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Last Pulse Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Data Management Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Screen Intensity Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Measurements Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Saving Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Adding and Deleting the Users and Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chapter 5. Pre-Set Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Mini-Optimization Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Whole Plate Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Well Set Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Mixed Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual | Table of Contents
viii
Chapter 6. Factors Affecting Electroporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Factors Affecting Electroporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Electroporation Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Appendix A: PulseTrac™ System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
PulseTrac System Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
PulseTrac Diagnostic Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Appendix B: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Appendix C: References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Appendix D: Product Specifications and Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Product Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Product Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual
1
1 Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of a Gene Pulser MXcell™ electroporation system! This
instrument is the newest addition to Bio-Rad Laboratories’ powerful electroporation line.
This system is filled with features that will enable you to quickly optimize conditions for
efficient delivery of molecules into most eukaryotic cells, including mammalian cells and
plant protoplasts.
The Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system is designed to electroporate cells in 96-, 24-
and 12-well electroporation plates.
Overview of the Gene Pulser MXcell™ Electroporation
System
The system includes three components:
• Power module: The power module produces controlled exponential or square
waveform pulses. The unit is capable of producing pulses of up to 500 V in a self-
contained unit requiring no peripheral modules. This ensures delivery of highly
reproducible electroporation conditions to multiwell plates. The system is designed to
allow you to vary any of the following parameters: waveform, resistance, voltage,
capacitance, pulse duration, and number of pulses.
•Plate chamber: The plate chamber holds a variety of multi-well electroporation plates
to provide maximum flexibility.
• Multi-well electroporation plates: The electroporation plates come in three formats:
12, 24, and 96-well. When using the 96-well plate or 24-well plates, 24 different
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual | Introduction
2
conditions can be programmed for use each time; the 12-well plate, 12 conditions.
You can use the 96-well plate to optimize conditions, and then perform laboratory
scale experiments in the 24- or 12-well plates. Pre-set optimization protocols assist
you in selecting initial starting conditions, even when cell lines are new to your
laboratory.
Bio-Rad Resources and References
Bio-Rad Laboratories provides many resources for scientists. The following web sites
contain useful information about running electroporation experiments:
• Gene Expression Gateway (www.bio-rad.com/genomics/)
This site provides rich technical resources on a wide variety of methods and
applications related to electroporation and gene expression. This site also features
tools, citations, technical support, and troubleshooting resources.
• Life Science Research web site (discover.bio-rad.com)
This site includes links to technical notes, manuals, product information, and technical
support.
Click the following links to download or request a copy of this manual or other Bio-Rad
Laboratories literature:
• Click the PDF icon to download a portable document format copy and open it
using Adobe Acrobat Reader software (www.adobe.com).
• Click the folder icon and order a printed copy.
• Click the FAX icon to request a FAX copy.
• Phone your local Bio-Rad Laboratories office to request a printed copy. In the
United States and Canada, call 1-800-424-6723 (toll-free phone), and select
the Literature option.
Use the following resources to locate what you need:
Table 1. Bio-Rad resources.
Resource How to contact
Local Bio-Rad Laboratories
representatives
Find local information and contacts on the Bio-Rad
Laboratories web site by selecting your country on the
home page (www.bio-rad.com). Also find the nearest
international office listed on the back of this manual.
Technical notes and literature Go to the Gene Expression Gateway (www.bio-rad.com/
genomics/) and locate the Search box in the upper, right
corner of the web page. Type a search term in the box to
find links to products, technical notes, and manuals.
Technical specialists Bio-Rad Laboratories provides quality technical support.
We staff our Technical Support department with
experienced scientists to provide our customers with
practical and expert solutions. To find technical support on
the web, go to the Gene Expression Gateway
(www.bio-rad.com/genomics).
To find local technical support, contact your nearest
Bio-Rad Laboratories office. For technical support in the
United States and Canada, call 1-800-424-6723 (toll-free
phone), and select the technical support option.
Writing Conventions Used in This Manual
3
Writing Conventions Used in This Manual
This manual is for scientists and technicians who run the Gene Pulser MXcell
electroporation system and accessories. It explains how to safely set up and operate the
Gene Pulser MXcell system. This manual also contains important tips about how to
successfully run electroporation experiments on the Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation
system.
This manual uses the writing conventions shown in Table 2 to quickly provide relevant
information.
For information about safety labels used in this manual and on the Gene Pulser MXcell
electroporation system, see “Safety and Regulatory Compliance” on page iii.
Table 2. Conventions used in this manual.
Convention Meaning
TIP: Provides helpful information and instructions
NOTE: Provides important information, including information explained in
further detail elsewhere in this manual
WARNING! Explains very important information about something that might
damage the researcher, an instrument, or cause data loss
Screen message Indicates an LCD screen message or a command that you select
or type. For example, “select
Protocol Set-up
in the home
screen” means highlight the word “
Protocol Set-up
located in
the list in the home screen
NAME
of control panel
key
A word in capital letters and Courier font indicates the name of a
key on the Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system control
panel. For example, these keys have the following names:
•The
ENTER
key is the key named ENTER on the control
panel
•The
RIGHT
arrow key is the arrow key that points to the
right
Select
X
Select
X
by pressing the arrow keys. The word “select” means to
press the arrow keys to highlight the word. For example, “select
Protocol Set-up
” means “use the arrow keys to highlight the
Protocol Set-up
option on the LCD screen”
Select
X > Y
From menu
X
, select
Y
. For example, “Select
Protocol Set-up
>
WHOLE PLATE
” means highlight the
Protocol Set-up
option
and then select
WHOLE PLATE
in the next screen. In general, the
word “select” means to highlight the word on the screen. For
example, “Select
WHOLE PLATE
” means press the arrow keys to
highlight the word
WHOLE PLATE
on the screen
Press
X
Press
X
key on the control panel. For example, “press
ENTER
”
means “Press the
ENTER
key on the control panel”
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual | Introduction
4
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual
5
2 Get Started
The Gene Pulser MXcell™ electroporation system ships as complete system that is ready to
setup and start. This chapter provides two sections with information about getting started
with this electroporation system:
• Unpacking the Gene Pulser MXcell system (page 5)
• Setting up the system (page 6)
• Introduction to the Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system (page 8)
• Well sets and quadrants in Gene Pulser electroporation plates (page 12)
For more information about programming and running electroporation experiments on the
Gene Pulser MXcell system, see “Program and Run the System” on page 19.
Unpacking and Setting Up the System
Your Gene Pulser MXcell system shipment includes these components in the package:
• Gene Pulser MXcell power module
• Plate chamber
• Gene Pulser electroporation plate (1 x 96-well)
• Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system manual
• Protocol quick guide
• Optimization quick guide
Remove all packing material and place components on a flat, dry surface near an
appropriate electrical outlet. Please check that all items were shipped. If any items are
missing or damaged, contact your local Bio-Rad Laboratories office (page 2).
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual | Get Started
6
Setting Up the Gene Pulser MXcell System
To set up the Gene Pulser MXcell power module, follow these instructions:
1. Attach the power cord to the back of the Gene Pulser MXcell power module (Figure 1):
Figure 1. Rear panel of Gene Pulser MXcell power module.
2. Connect the plate chamber by plugging the black connector into the back of the
power module:
Figure 2. Front of power module with plate chamber and power switch.
3. Plug the unit into an appropriate electrical outlet.
4. Turn on the Gene Pulser MXcell system, by pressing the power switch on the right
side of the power module (Figure 2).
TIP: Change the angle of the LCD screen by pulling down the foot under the
front of the Gene Pulser MXcell system.
5. Begin any operation by selecting an option in the list on the home screen (Figure 3)
Figure 3. Home screen options.
For more information about the options listed in the home screen, see page 19.
Power input
Plate chamber
connection
Plate chamber
Power switch
1. Protocol Set-up
2. Gradient Protocol
3. User Protocols
4. Pre-set Protocols
5. Last Pulse
6. Data Management
7. Screen Intensity
8. Measurements
Setting Up the Gene Pulser MXcell System
7
The plate chamber holds the Gene Pulser electroporation plates. The top lid of the chamber
must be closed to use the plate chamber to deliver a pulse. The safety design of the system
requires that the top be closed before a pulse is applied. No pulse is delivered to the
electroporation plate when the chamber lid is open.
NOTE: The electroporation plate slot will only accept the Gene Pulser MXcell
electroporation plates designed specifically for this instrument.
Follow these steps to operate the plate chamber:
1. Squeeze the tabs on the front of the plate chamber to release the latch and to open
the top.
Figure 4. Opening the plate chamber.
2. Insert a 96-, 24- or 12-well plate, line up the pins, and push down firmly.
Figure 5. Plate chamber with inserted 96-well electroporation plate.
3. To close the chamber, gently push the top down.
NOTE: Use only low-resistance media such as GPEB (<1000 ohms) with the
Gene Pulser MXcell system.
Squeeze tabs
to open
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual | Get Started
8
Introduction to the System
Your Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system is designed for ease of use and intuitive
programming. This section provides an overview of how to operate the system:
• Overview of Gene Pulser MXcell system (page 8)
• Using the control panel and keys (page 9)
• Selecting operations in the home screen (page 10)
Overview of the Gene Pulser MXcell Electroporation
System
The Gene Pulser MXcell power module provides one of two distinct waveforms in a pulse:
• Exponential waveform (EXP)
• Square waveform (SQR)
To deliver a waveform, the power module contains a set of capacitors with a functional
range between 25 and 2475 μF that is selected in 25 μF increments. For square wave
pulses, the power module provides the large capacitance (2,475 μF) necessary for
delivering the pulse into low resistance media.
The power module selects an electronically controlled resistance of 50 to 1500 Ω. The
module controls the resistance of the circuit by placing resistors in parallel with the sample,
thereby providing a means of reducing the time constant of an exponential decay pulse.
This method provides an effective means of controlling the time constant when using
higher-resistance media, but has little effect on the time constant when using low-
resistance media.
NOTE: Only use low-resistance media such as GPEB (<1000 W) with the Gene
Pulser MXcell system.
The Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system uses Gene Pulser electroporation plates in
12-, 24-, and 96-well formats that are specially designed for use with this system (see “Well
Sets and Quadrants in Electroporation Plates” on page 12).
Following a pulse, the results for each plate or well set display on the screen.
TIP: Visit the Gene Expression Gateway tools web page (www.bio-rad.com/
genomics/) to download a template to records your results.
When the Gene Pulser MXcell system delivers a pulse, it can use the following parameters:
• Voltage in volts (V)
• Current in microfarads (μF)
• Resistance in ohms (Ω)
• Duration in milliseconds (ms)
• Number of pulse is the number of individual pulses (NP)
• Pulse interval is the time between each pulse
Introduction to the System
9
Using the Control Panel
The control panel includes an LCD screen and a keypad:
Figure 6. Gene Pulser MXcell system control panel with keypad.
Use the keys the Gene Pulser MXcell control panel to enter all parameters for an
electroporation experiment. Table 3 describes the function of each key on the control panel:
Table 3. Function of the keys on the control panel.
Keys Function
Alphanumeric Press these keys to enter letters or numbers when
programming the Gene Pulser MXcell system. Press the
Shift
key to toggle between alphabetic and numeric
entries. To enter the same key twice, advance the cursor
using the right arrow key. For example to type “a” and then
“b”, press the “abc” key, press
ENTER
, and then press the
“abc” key twice.
NOTE: The second digit in a two-digit number must be
entered within 2 seconds after the first digit. If the second
digit is entered too late the power module will enter a
single-digit number rather than a two-digit number.
Shift
Toggle between alphabetic and numeric entries. For
example, to type an alphabetic character, press the
Shift
key to enter alpha mode, then press the key with the
appropriate letter. To type an “a”, press the 2 key once, and
to type a “b”, press the 2 key twice, to type a c, press the 2
key three times. In general, the Gene Pulser MXcell system
automatically changes between alphabetic and numeric
input if only one type of input is needed.
HOME
Return to the home screen from anywhere in the program
BACK
Return one level back in toward the home screen within any
operation.
HELP
Displays context-sensitive help for each operation screen.
To open the help screen, press the
HELP
key. To leave the
help screen and return to the current operation, press the
HELP
key again.
Each help screen describes the keys you press to enter the
next function, and continue the current operation. Press the
up and down arrow keys to scroll through the help screens.
Save
Saves user names and user protocols.
Delete
Removes only the last entry in the field; also used to
remove User Name and User Protocol files
Gene Pulser MXcell™ System Manual | Get Started
10
Overview of Options in the Home Screen
The Gene Pulser MXcell system home screen includes all the options you need:
• Program and run protocols: Define the parameters of your electroporation
experiment.
• System functions: View data, test your buffer, or adjust the screen.
The home screen provides access to all the operations in the system, including options to
program protocols:
Figure 7. The home screen options.
TIP: To return to the home screen from anywhere in the program, press the
HOME
key on the control panel.
The options include two types of operations:
•Protocols: Use one of the four protocol options to create, store, or open protocols to
run with any of the Gene Pulser electroporation plates. Within a plate, well sets and
quadrants can be programmed to run separate protocols. Within each protocol the
parameters can vary for each individual well, each well set, or each quadrant.
• System functions: Use one of four functions to access data or adjust system
parameters.
Clear
Remove the entire line of the field.
ENTER
Press this key to confirm a selection or to move the cursor
to the next location.
Arrow Press one of the four arrow keys to move the cursor in the
direction of the arrow. Up and down Arrow keys move the
cursor up or down one row at a time. Depending on the
screen and location of the cursor, the right and left Arrows
will move the cursor to the right or left one space at a time,
toggle forward and backward one screen when there are
multiple screens for the same menu, or increase or
decrease numerical input values.
PULSE
Pressing this red key initiates an electric pulse. When a
pulse is delivered to the plate, the screen displays
Pulsing
and the system emits a sound. When the system delivers
multiple pulses, a sound emits after the last pulse is
delivered.
Table 3. Function of the keys on the control panel.
Keys Function
1. Protocol Set-up
2. Gradient Protocol
3. User Protocols
4. Pre-set Protocols
5. Last Pulse
6. Data Management
7. Screen Intensity
8. Measurements
System functions
S
Program and run protocols
Introduction to the System
11
To begin an operation on the Gene Pulser MXcell system, select one of the options in the
home screen. Table 4 lists all the options and the associated operations.
Table 4. Options listed in the home screen.
Option Operation
PROTOCOLS
Protocol Set-up
Manually program the parameters that will be delivered
to the plate.
Gradient Protocol
Specify initial values that will be used to automatically
generate a gradient of settings across all the wells on
the plate.
User Protocols
Access all protocols within the directory of each
system user and create new user directories.
Pre-Set Protocols
Open one of eighteen pre-set protocols designed for
easy optimization of parameters to deliver to the plate
during a pulse. These protocols can be modified and
saved with a different name.
SYSTEM FUNCTIONS
Last Pulse
Recall the electroporation parameters for the last pulse
and to deliver a pulse using the same conditions.
Data Management
View pulse parameters and results for the last 100
pulses logged by date and time.
Screen Intensity
Adjust the contrast intensity of the LCD display.
Measurements
Measure the resistance or capacitance of any well on
this device.
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