Running Programs
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7-9
Running Multiple Programs
One particularly useful feature of the DNA Engine Tetrad 2 cycler is the ability to run sev-
eral programs at once on different blocks. For example, in a DNA Engine Tetrad 2 cycler
setup with two 96-well Alpha units, a gradient for optimizing annealing temperature can
be run in one Alpha unit, while a typical experiment without a gradient can be run in
another Alpha unit,
simultaneously.
Before running multiple protocols, considerations should be made as to the compatibility
of the program with the available Alpha units. Please review Chapter 4:
Operation
for a
more complete treatment of Alpha units.
To run multiple programs, first choose an available block from the block selection menu
in the Status window. Available blocks will show a “Block is Inactive” message just above
the
User Name
field. If there are no available blocks, the “No blocks available” message
window appears. Select <Run> and follow the instructions in the “Running Protocols”
section in this chapter to initiate an independent run.
Subsequent chapters will review the remaining menu and submenu items, particularly the
“Utility” functions.
