Can you use Picogreen in a QPCR instrument? - (Nov/26/2006 )

Hi,

We're trying to accurately quantitate some very dilute environmental DNA samples (about 20 microliter samples; about 0.1 ng/microliter DNA at a rough guess), and using a reagent called picogreen (which is supposed to bind dsDNA and be very very sensitive). A postdoc in the lab thought she had heard of people using a QPCR instrument to do this.

We aren't amplifying anything; we are simply binding dye to a dilute sample of DNA and measuring the fluorescence. We've tried the transilluminator with limited luck, and now are trying the QPCR instrument - but I can't find any hints in the manual to suggest how to modify the settings for this application.

Anyone ever heard of using picogreen with a QPCR instrument in this manner?

-Patty

p.s. I wasn't sure where to post this, and I have posted a longer form of this question in the molecular biology forum.

http://www.protocol-online.org/forums/inde...showtopic=22457

Thank you for any help you can give.

yes u can...

u can also use the following cyanine dyes:

SYBR Green II
SYBR Gold
YO (Oxazole Yellow)
TO (Thiazole Orange)