
14
Prepare dPCR cartridge
1.
Dilute the 2X dPCR buffer
●
to 1X with molecular grade water. NB: Dilute an entire vial of dPCR buffer.
Precipitate potentially forming in the 2x buffer will dissolve when diluted to 1x. Make sure to mix well by
vortexing 10 seconds and inverting the tube >20 times. Use leftover 1x dPCR buffer for sorting of droplets.
2.
Unpack the cartridge from the plastic bag and place it on a clean flat surface in a LAF (Laminar Air Flow) hood
or a similar dust free environment. The layout of the cartridge is depicted in Fig. 3.1.
3.
Handle the cartridge as follows:
Always use gloves when handling the cartridge.
Hold the cartridge by its sides.
Do not touch any of the input wells or droplet exit well.
Do not touch the black microfluidic chip on the back of the cartridge.
Save the cartridge storage bag for later storage of the cartridge.
4.
Be careful not to use the same line more than once as this will disrupt droplet production. To avoid using the
same line more than once mark the storage plastic bag or the cartridge directly with a permanent marker
once a line has been used.
Fig. 3.1.
The dPCR cartridge. Wells are marked A, B, C, and D. Lines are marked 1 – 8.
5.
Load the cartridge with reagents in a LAF (Laminar Air Flow) hood or a similar clean, dust free environment.
Keep the dPCR reaction mix at 4°C until loading. NB: it is important to load the reagents on the cartridge in the
order described below.