MacVector Talk: September 2014: A Day In The Life

MacVector might not save you from pipetter’s thumb, but it will save you time designing primers, looking for restriction sites, subcloning genes and many other routine tasks that the molecular biologist needs to do.

Here’s a lighthearted look at a day in the lab and how the wide variety of tools in MacVector will make your life easier!

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The MacVector team.


QuickTestAnimation2

8:00– Design primers to subclone your gene with QuickTest Primer and email the oligo report to your Oligo Synthesis service.

9:00 – Receive sequencing reads from the gene you cloned last week. Download the reference sequence direct from Genbank and align the trace files with Align To Reference to check these reads.

10:00 – Design how to clone that gene into an expression vector with the Cloning Clipboard. Create the new construct in a new document by dragging and dropping the digested fragments to your cloning vector. A little quicker than cutting the fragments out of a gel.

Cloning Clipboard smaller

11:00 – Print the new plasmid map for your lab book (or save the PDF directly from within MacVector if you are using an ELN).

11:30 – Find some suitable restriction enzyme sites to check your construct. MacVector makes it easy to look for unique sites that only cut in a specific region. Digest some mini preps with that enzyme and run out on a gel. Compare the bands on the gel with MacVector’s Fragment Prediction tool to check whether the construct did get ligated into your expression vector.

FragmentPredictions

12:00 – Open your email to see the sequencing results of last week’s construct. Align to Reference makes it straightforward to check the sequenced construct by aligning the reads against the virtual construct you made last week with the Cloning Clipboard.

15:00 – Once that’s done, generate a revised publication ready alignment of the protein sequences you’ve been working on for a Nature paper you’ve just had accepted.

18:00 – Put your feet up and MacVector will clean your bench, and make you a cup of tea or coffee (probably….!)

19:00 -Then head home. When you get there try to resist the temptation to double check those primers and relax. But if you really need to, do remember that most licenses will also run on your Mac at home.

MSA


Create constructs with ease.

Cloning Clipboard simplifies the creation of DNA constructs. Ligate fragments by dragging digested ends together or drag a fragment to a vector. Cloning Clipboard maintains a history of digested fragments.

Easy primer design.

QuickTest Primer completely changes the design of primers. Does your primer have a hairpin? Slide along your template until it goes? Want to add a restriction site? Click to add, then nudge to optimize the oligo.

I hope that this newsletter gives you a feel for the wide selection of tools MacVector has and how it can save you time with your daily molecular biology tasks!

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