Sequencers are used to determine the DNA sequence of the amplified product. Actual DNA sequencers are sophisticated pieces of equipment and require a unique set of reagents. The virtual automatic sequencer used in the molecular laboratory is completely automated and requires only that the student has amplified enough product to provide a sufficient quantity for the sequencer reactions. A sample is loaded into the sequencer by clicking on and dragging a sample tube over to the sequencer drawer, holding over the drawer until it opens, and then dropping the tube on to the tube holder. Clicking on the drawer closes it and initializes the instrument for a sequencer run.
The sequencer controls are in Live Data. The sequencer section displays the results of the sequencer run in real time. Clicking on the Start button starts a sequencer run and it can be stopped at any time by clicking on the Stop button, although the run will automatically terminate when the end of the sequence has been reached. Note that the sequencer produces a base pair every 30 seconds so it may appear that the sequencer is not working. It will be convenient to use the laboratory clock to advance the time since sequencer runs can take many hours.
After one or more sequences have been determined and are displayed in the sequencer window, other functions are also available. A sequence is selected by clicking on the sequence, which then activates the Save button and allows the student to
enter a name for the sequence. Clicking on the Save button saves the sequence to the lab book for further analysis. The lab book icon is used to indicate if the sequence has been saved to the lab book. An alignment tool is also available in the upper right corner of the window. This tool can be used to check for similarities in the sequence for a list of sequences. The Zoom button opens up a window with the sequences to allow for comparison and analysis of the sequences.