Waikato DNA Sequencing Facility (WDSF)

Sample Preparation

When preparing samples for submission to the WDSF, please first download our request form, complete and print it, ensuring it is included with your templates upon submission.

Please refer to the below requirements for each the different types of services we offer. Please also make sure to refer to both the troubleshooting section and to our disclaimer.

• Template requirements
• Primer requirements
• Sample submission
  

Find out more about results and archiving.

Template Requirements

• The quality of any sequence or genotype is directly proportional to the quality of the template DNA, the chosen primer and their effective interaction. Samples and primers should ideally be resuspended in high grade water or suitable low pI buffer which must contain less than 0.1mM of any chelating agent.
  
  For example: 1x TE is not a suitable elution buffer for use with template or primers destined for DNA sequencing as it contains more than 0.1mM of EDTA.
  
  
• Please note that many commercially available kits use similar levels of chelating agents in their elution buffers. In many cases this can be successfully substituted with a simple Tris based buffer.
• Samples and Primers should be supplied free of residual salts, solvents, proteins, primers, RNA, chaotropic or chelating agents.

• For PCR products, the amount of DNA used in each reaction is dependant on product length. As a guide this is usually 3 ng per 100 bp (template length x 0.03 = Required DNA concentration in ng/µL).
  
• Please supply at least 12 µL of template solution per reaction.

Primer Requirements

• We supply some primers for use in sequencing reactions. The sequences of these primers are:

• The WDSF can also accept any complaint custom primer (as below). 
• Please supply primers at a concentration of 5 pMol/µL (5 micro molar).
• Please supply at least 2 µL of primer solution per intended reaction.

Sample Submission

Please refer to our Contact Details page for further advice on submitting your sample by post/courier.