3730 Running Buffer (10X) - FAQs

The appropriate volume to use in the buffer, water, and waste reservoirs is 80mls. The black line on the reservoir body is a reference only and should not be used to determine the fill volume. For accuracy and reproducibility in filling the reservoirs, a graduated cylinder should be used each time the reservoir fluids are replaced.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.

The 1x Running Buffer can be stored for 1 week at room temperatures (20–25°C) or for 1 month at refrigerated temperatures (2–8°C).

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The Running Buffer on the Applied Biosystems 3730 Series DNA Analyzer has a use-life of 48 hours on the instrument. Replace the Running Buffer (in both the buffer jar and reservoirs) every 48 hours.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.

“Leak detected” error messages can also occur when the piston on the pump moves further than expected during the movement of the pump. The usual cause for this is a leak on the system, usually due to either an improperly tightened or improperly threaded fitting or a broken capillary. However, if this is not observed, some of the other reasons are:

1.Valve stuck in open position
2.Large air bubble under the piston
3. Polymer:
-Wrong polymer type (e.g., instrument thinks it has POP-7 on it but it really has POP-4).
-Old/degraded polymer
4. Improper/no maintenance on the system

Inspect the system for leaks. If you do not see any leaks on the system, perform a water wash using the water wash wizard and place fresh, non-expired polymer and freshly made 1X Running Buffer on the system. If the problem persists, a service call may be required.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.

Some of the other causes of an Unstable Electrophoresis current detected error message are:

1.Leak on the system
2.Polymer that:
-Has expired
-Has been left on the instrument for more than the recommended time
-Is a mixture of expired polymer and non-expired polymer
3.Using Running Buffer that was:
-Diluted to 1X incorrectly
-Swapped with the water position on the
Autosampler deck
-On the instrument longer than 48 hours
-Not filled to the fill line or evaporated below the fill line
4. An arcing event that was not cleaned afterwards using the water wash wizard
5. Not performing regular maintenance on the instrument
6. Hardware issues

Inspect the system for leaks. If you do not see any leaks on the system, perform a water wash using the water wash wizard and place fresh, non-expired polymer and freshly made 1X Running Buffer on the system. If the problem persists, a service call may be required.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.

If we do not specify the expiry date or number of uses, the warranty will last for 12 months from the date of shipment.

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We do not recommend mixing and matching the various instrument reagents as each is manufactured using different processes, tested as an entire system, and warrantied to perform to a minimum specification. Substitution of reagents can compromise the integrity of the system and cannot be supported by our service or support specialists. In addition, the 10X Running Buffer expires 1 year after date of shipment and once diluted to 1X, it will last 30 days at 2-8 degree C or 7 days at ambient temperature. This could potentially result in having to dispose of a large volume of 10X Running Buffer due to expiration if you are using it on a lower-throughput system.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.

Thermo Fisher Scientific can only provide warranty on performance on non-expired reagents. Using reagents past their expiration date is a risk and may compromise your data integrity.

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If the instrument is not in use, it is not necessary to replace the buffer every 2-3 days. However, the buffer level needs to remain at the fill line to prevent the capillary or array from drying out. Top off the buffer volume with water if necessary. Replace the anode and cathode buffer with freshly made 1X Running Buffer prior to starting a new run.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.

For the Applied Biosystems 3730/3730xl DNA Analyzer, the buffer can keep for 48 hours.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.