JP2010099036A - Container for treating biopolymer solution, and method for treating biopolymer solution - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container and a method wherein a pipette tip or the like as a partition means can be advanced into the inside of the container, the spatter of, e.g., a solution during suction-injection and the spray of an aerosol can be suppressed, and the evaporation of a solution after use or the leak of a liquid at a fall can be prevented. <P>SOLUTION: The container for treating the biopolymer solution is a container including a container for holding a liquid and a cover member which seals at least one opening situated at the upper end part of the container, wherein the cover member can perform resealing at least once even after being once opened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a biopolymer solution processing container for use in operations such as amplification and purification necessary for analysis and diagnosis for biopolymers, particularly nucleic acid processing, and the biopolymer solution processing The present invention relates to a biopolymer solution processing method using a container.

  Nucleic acid amplification reactions are widely used to detect infectious microorganisms and determine specific base sequences. Among them, Polymerase Chain Reaction (hereinafter referred to as “PCR”) is most used. Since a nucleic acid amplification reaction typified by PCR is a highly sensitive method capable of amplification from a single molecule, there are cases where a false positive is caused by slight nucleic acid contamination.

  Such contamination is thought to be due to nucleic acid contained in the droplets or aerosol of the solution that is generated when the cap of the container is opened and closed or during the dispensing operation. When the droplets or aerosol of the solution is scattered outside the container in which the operation is performed, other samples, devices, and laboratories are contaminated, and cross contamination and carryover occur. In order to prevent such contamination, researchers in the field carry out reaction solution preparation, amplification reaction, detection process, etc. in a physically separated space using dedicated gloves, pipettes, etc. Yes.

  However, this measure is not only complicated, but also very restrictive from the viewpoint of securing cost and space. In particular, when a large number of samples are analyzed at the same time, automatic operation by an apparatus is desired. However, securing a space physically separated by an automatic apparatus is a big problem.

  In addition, nucleic acid amplification reactions are rarely performed alone, and are performed in combination with operations for purifying nucleic acids, such as operations for extracting a nucleic acid as a template from a biological sample and operations for removing unreacted substances after the reaction. Most of that. For purification of nucleic acids, methods using a carrier on which a substance capable of reversibly adsorbing or eluting nucleic acids, such as silica or ion exchanger, is used (Patent Documents 1 to 5). 3).

  In particular, a magnetic bead coated with silica or an ion exchanger can be simplified in the configuration of an automatic apparatus because a series of operations can be performed by replacing the solvent with a liquid dispensing means and collecting the magnetic bead with a magnet. Is possible.

  However, when performing purification with an automatic apparatus, opening and closing the lid when dispensing each reagent and contamination during stirring are problems. In many cases, in order to prevent reagent contamination and evaporation during transportation, the opening at the upper end of the container is covered with a material that does not allow vapor to pass, such as an aluminum sheet. By sucking or discharging the liquid inside the container without providing a complicated lid opening and closing mechanism by penetrating the sheet covering the upper end with a cutter etc. and securing a hole through which liquid dispensing means such as a pipette passes Can do.

  However, in a state in which the liquid dispensing means can pass smoothly, a space is created between the liquid dispensing means and the hole formed in the sheet. It is not possible to prevent scattering to the outside. Moreover, since the hole formed in the sheet remains open after removing the liquid dispensing means, it is not possible to prevent evaporation of the remaining solution or leakage of the solution when it falls.

  In particular, when a solution subjected to a nucleic acid amplification reaction such as PCR or a solution in contact with the solution is used as a sample, since a high concentration of nucleic acid is contained, the splash of the solution and the scattering of the aerosol have a great influence. As a prior art that solves these problems, there is a method of preventing droplets of the solution and scattering of the aerosol to the outside by physically blocking the opening when the liquid dispensing means is sucked or discharged.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-74751 discloses a method for preventing droplets of a solution generated when aspirating or discharging a liquid or scattering of an aerosol to the outside by using a plate-like lid through which a pipette tip can penetrate. ing. However, although this method can suppress scattering during suction or discharge, the opening after use remains open, preventing evaporation of the remaining solution and leakage of the liquid during a fall. I can't. In addition, the possibility that the liquid droplets adhering to the lid scatter when the pipette tip is moved cannot be denied.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-329688 discloses a method using a cap made of a material capable of closing a punctured hole by its own elasticity. In this method, there is almost no gap between the liquid dispensing means and the hole, and after use, it becomes a sealed state by its own elasticity, so that liquid splash and aerosol splash during use, evaporation after use, and Leakage and the like during a fall can be prevented.

  However, when using a material that can close the punctured hole with its own elasticity, it is necessary to increase the elasticity and thickness of the material, and the friction with the lid increases when the liquid dispensing means is inserted or removed. End up. Therefore, the liquid dispensing means is limited to a needle made of metal or the like. Metal needles are expensive compared to plastic pipette tips and the like and have drawbacks such as difficulty in replacement, and are not suitable for nucleic acid amplification tests where results are affected by slight contamination.

  On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-1224035 discloses a method of covering an opening with an elastic sheet having a radial slit. In this method, when the pipette tip is lowered, the elastic body is pushed downward and the liquid inside the container can be sucked or discharged. At the time of suction or discharge, since the elastic body is attached to the outer periphery of the pipette, it is possible to suppress the splash of the solution and the scattering of the aerosol to the outside.

Further, when the pipette tip is removed, the sheet pushed downward is returned to the horizontal state by elasticity, so that the opening can be covered again. However, in this method, since it has a slit, evaporation from a slight gap cannot be blocked, and there is a possibility that the solution leaks during a fall.
US Pat. No. 5,234,809 European patent No. 03899063 European Patent No. 1036082 JP 2001-74751 A JP 2003-329688 A JP 2006-124035 A

  As described above, a pipette tip or the like as a dispensing means enters the inside of the container, suppresses the splashing of the solution or the scattering of the aerosol at the time of sucking or discharging the solution, etc., and evaporating or overturning the solution after use There is a need for a biopolymer solution processing container capable of preventing leakage of liquid at the time, and a method for processing a biopolymer solution such as nucleic acid using the container.

  Therefore, the present invention, a pipette tip or the like as a dispensing means enters the inside of the container, suppresses the splashing of the solution or the scattering of the aerosol at the time of sucking or discharging the solution, etc., and evaporating the solution after use or Provided is an invention relating to a container and a method capable of preventing leakage of liquid at the time of falling.

  A biopolymer solution processing container according to the present invention is a biopolymer solution processing container including a container that holds a liquid and a lid member that seals at least one opening at an upper end of the container. The lid member can be resealed at least once even after being opened.

  The biopolymer solution processing method using the container according to the present invention includes a container for holding a liquid and at least one opening at an upper end of the container, and is resealed at least once even after being opened. A biopolymer solution processing method using a biopolymer solution processing container, characterized in that: (1) The liquid held in the container is sucked by the liquid dispensing means, or the container Any one of the steps of discharging a liquid into the interior of the container, and (2) a step of heating the biopolymer solution processing container.

(Definition)
In the present invention, “being able to be resealed at least once even after being opened” means that the lid member that is originally in a sealed state is opened again by being punctured, penetrated, etc. and then re-sealed. . As an example, as will be described later, after the slit arranged in the lid member is penetrated, the resealing substance provided on the surface of the lid member in which the slit is arranged is melted by heating, By closing the gap of the slit, the lid member can be sealed again.

  In the present invention, a pipette tip or the like that is a dispensing means enters the inside of the container, suppresses the splashing of the solution or the scattering of the aerosol when the solution or the like is sucked or discharged, and the dispensing means is removed. It is possible to prevent the solution from leaking when the solution evaporates or falls.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a biopolymer solution processing container and a biopolymer solution processing method using the biopolymer solution processing container according to the present invention will be described. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to this.

  A biopolymer solution processing container according to the present invention is a biopolymer solution processing container including a container that holds a liquid and a lid member that seals at least one opening at an upper end of the container. The lid member can be resealed at least once even after being opened. The first embodiment of the present invention is as shown in FIG.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention. The container of this embodiment is for treating biopolymers, particularly nucleic acid solutions, and may be any container that can hold a liquid, and is particularly preferably a well. The well used in the present embodiment means an individual liquid holding unit (12 in FIG. 2) that constitutes a well plate normally used in the technical area. The material of the well of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it does not adversely affect the reagent held inside, but a plastic well is particularly preferable. For example, it is preferably formed of a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene, or a mixture thereof.

  Although wells can be used singly, it is preferable to use a container such as a well plate in which a plurality of wells are connected because operations in nucleic acid amplification tests and the like often use many kinds of liquids. 2A is a plan view of the well plate 11 having two wells, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view thereof. The well plate 11 is a plastic container having a liquid holding part 12 capable of holding a liquid and an opening 13 at an upper end thereof.

  Although the number of wells is not particularly limited, it is preferable that at least two or more wells are connected because a process performed in nucleic acid amplification inspection or the like uses a large number of liquid reagents. In modern nucleic acid processing, since automation by a machine is progressing, the container (well) of the present invention can use an assembly of two or more containers (wells) that can be fully automated or semi-automated.

The liquid retained in the container of the present invention is a biopolymer solution and all the reagents required to process the biopolymer. Biopolymers to be treated in the present invention include deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).
acid) and the like, proteins, amino acids and the like, and particularly preferred are nucleic acids.

  The reagent required for processing the biopolymer solution differs depending on the purpose of processing, but is a nucleic acid amplification reagent required for the amplification of nucleic acid by, for example, the PCR method. That is, when amplifying DNA, four mononucleotides (ie, deoxyadenosine 5′-three) consisting of its base components (four types of adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine) and sugar (2-deoxy-D-ribose) are used. Phosphoric acid, deoxycytidine 5′-triphosphate, deoxyguanosine 5′-triphosphate and deoxythymidine 5′-triphosphate) (generally, these four types of mononucleotides are collectively referred to as “dNTPs”) Alternatively, deoxyinosine 5′-triphosphate may be included. Reagents necessary for synthesizing RNA may be four kinds of mononucleotides consisting of a base component (four kinds of adenine, cytosine, guanine and uracil) and a sugar (ribose).

In addition, substances necessary for nucleic acid purification can be included as a nucleic acid purification reagent. For example, silica or an ion exchanger used in the case of a method using a carrier on which a substance capable of reversibly adsorbing or eluting nucleic acid is used is exemplified.
That is, in the present invention, the liquid held in the container is preferably a nucleic acid solution and at least one kind of reagent selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid amplification reagent and a nucleic acid purification reagent.

  The container of the present invention has at least one opening at the upper end. The shape of the opening is not particularly limited, and is a circle, ellipse, triangle, polygon, or the like that does not hinder liquid suction or discharge by a liquid dispensing means such as a pipette tip. In the present invention, a circular shape is particularly preferable.

  In the present invention, the opening at the upper end of the container does not require a complicated operation or mechanism for opening and closing the lid, and allows a liquid dispensing means such as a pipette tip to easily enter the container. The part is preferably provided with a lid member. The lid member is fixed to the opening of the present invention by mechanical or chemical adhesion so that the liquid held in the container (well) does not leak out of the container (well). .

In the present invention, chemical adhesion means adhesion between two bonding parts using an adhesive or an adhesive, preferably a liquid adhesive. On the other hand, mechanical adhesion means adhesion by surface properties, for example, microscopic engagement of a porous or fibrous surface (for example, Velcro closure) or by a method such as welding.

  In addition, the lid member is preferably a material that does not allow vapor to pass through in order to prevent evaporation and contamination during transportation and temporary storage. In the present embodiment, the lid member is preferably a member made of an elastic sheet material. Here, the elastic sheet may be any material that does not pass the reagent used, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyamide, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyimide, natural rubber, silicone rubber, bromobutyl rubber, A material selected from the group consisting of chlorobutyl rubber and the like is preferred. It may also be a sheet made from a mixture of these materials or at least two different layers of these materials.

  3A is a plan view of the elastic sheet 21 used in the present embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view thereof. The most preferred elastic sheet 21 in the present invention is a silicone sheet.

  In this embodiment, it is preferable that the lid member is provided with a slit. In particular, it is preferable that radial slits are provided in the elastic sheet. As shown in FIG. 3, the elastic sheet 21 has a slit 22 formed so as to be aligned with the opening 13 of the well plate 11. The slit 22 is a linear cut with respect to the elastic sheet 21, and the slit 22 may penetrate the entire thickness of the elastic sheet 21. The depth of the slit 22 is preferably less than the thickness of the sheet 21 in order to maintain a completely sealed state before processing such as nucleic acid amplification and nucleic acid purification. Further, the slit 22 can be provided on the sheet 21 in a perforated structure.

  In the case where the slit 22 does not penetrate completely, it is preferable not to penetrate the central point 23 where the lines of the radial slits 22 intersect in order to maintain a complete sealed state. Further, in order for a liquid dispensing means such as a pipette tip to easily penetrate later, only the central point 23 where the lines of the radial slits 22 intersect may be penetrated. In this case, the penetrating center point 23 can be closed by the elasticity of the elastic sheet, which is a lid member, so that evaporation and leakage of the liquid held in the container of the present invention can be prevented. .

  In particular, when the liquid dispensing means such as the pipette tip is inserted into the container (well) from the center point 23, the elastic sheet 21 is torn to the minimum necessary along the slit 22 that does not penetrate therethrough. Therefore, it is preferable that the depth of the slit 22 not penetrating is at least 50% to 90% of the thickness of the elastic sheet 21. In the present embodiment, since the sheet 21 provided with the slits 22 is easily torn by the liquid dispensing means, the liquid dispensing means is not limited to a needle made of metal, and a normal pipette tip is used. be able to.

  If the slit 22 is obliquely inserted as shown in FIG. 7 with respect to the thickness direction of the elastic sheet, the contact area of the cut surface can be increased. That is, the sealing property between the slit 22 torn by the liquid dispensing means such as a pipette tip and the pipette tip or the sealing property when the torn slit 22 is restored to the horizontal state can be improved. Therefore, the oblique cut surface is a more preferable form.

  The slit 22 is not particularly limited as long as it can easily pass through without being a barrier to entry of liquid dispensing means such as a pipette tip, and can maintain hermeticity when restored to a horizontal state. Are preferably formed radially, intersecting at the midpoint of each slit. It is more preferable to have three or more slits 22 in order to minimize a gap generated between the pushed-down elastic sheet 21 and the liquid dispensing means. In the present embodiment, four slits are formed as shown in FIG. When there are two or more slits 22, the lines of the respective slits 22 may have the same length or different lengths.

  The length of the line of the slit 22 is not particularly limited as long as the liquid dispensing means can pass through, but is preferably smaller than the inner diameter of the opening 13 in order to maintain the sealing performance. Further, the elastic sheet 21 having the radial slits 22 may be used alone, but a plurality of sheets may be used in an overlapping manner in order to close a slight gap between the slits 22. At this time, it is preferable that the slits 22 of the elastic sheets 21 are arranged so as not to overlap except for the center point 23.

  The thickness of the preferable lid member of the present invention may be a thickness that allows a pipette tip, which is a normal dispensing means, to be easily inserted. For example, when an elastic sheet is used, the thickness may be such that the pipette tip can be easily inserted in relation to the slit 22. In the present embodiment, it is 150 μm or less, preferably 40 μm to 100 μm.

  In the present embodiment, it is preferable to further provide a clamp 31 on the elastic sheet 21. 4A is a plan view of the clamp 31, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view thereof. The clamp 31 is used to prevent the nucleic acid processing container from floating when entering or removing the pipette tip, which is a dispensing means, and to fix a re-sealing substance (described later) that closes the slit 22.

  The clamp 31 has a hole 32 formed so as to be aligned with the opening 13 of the well plate 11. The inner diameter of the air holes 32 is not particularly limited as long as it does not hinder dispensing with a pipette tip, but is preferably the same as the inner diameter of the opening 13. The clamp 31 is preferably made of plastic in view of manufacturing cost, but may be made of metal such as iron or aluminum.

  The liquid dispensing means is preferably devised so as not to be contaminated, and the part where the liquid is in direct contact is preferably exchangeable. Specifically, it is preferable to use a pipette that can be attached to and detached from the nozzle provided in the dispenser, and that this embodiment is used for dispensing through a plastic pipette tip. Is preferred. In particular, it is preferable to use an aerosol-resistant pipette tip to prevent contamination of the dispenser body.

  Since the resealing substance 4 for resealing the lid member is provided on at least one surface of the lid member (elastic sheet 21), it is resealed at least once even after the lid member (elastic sheet) is opened. be able to. In order to prevent solution evaporation due to part or all of the slit 22 being penetrated by suction or discharge operation by the liquid dispensing means, the re-sealing substance 4 physically disposes the slit 22. The elastic sheet 21 is resealed.

  In this embodiment, the elastic sheet 21 opened by the penetrated slit 22 is resealed at least once. Therefore, it prevents the solution from leaking when the solution evaporates or falls after the suction or discharge operation by the liquid dispensing means. FIG. 5A shows a plan view of the resealable material 4, and FIG. 5B shows a cross-sectional view thereof.

  In this embodiment, the reseal material 4 is processed into a predetermined shape in advance. The shape processing of the resealable material 4 is achieved by heating the resealable material 4 to a temperature higher than the melting point, pouring it into a mold that can be molded into a desired shape, and then cooling it to a temperature lower than the melting point of the resealable material 4. However, other methods such as cutting may be used.

  Considering the vapor generated from the liquid inside the container at the time of heating, the resealing substance 4 is preferably a substance having a low melting point. In addition, except for the case where a reagent that requires special cooling is used, liquid dispensing is usually performed in an environment controlled at room temperature (20 to 25 ° C.). A substance having a melting point of 26 ° C. or higher is preferable. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable to use a substance having a melting point of 27 ° C to 30 ° C. Examples of the substance having these properties include waxes having a relatively low melting point such as polyolefin wax and paraffin wax, and one kind of these substances or a mixture of these substances may be used. Is possible.

  The resealing material 4 is provided on the outer surface of the elastic sheet of the well plate 11 in a solid state, melted by heating, reaches the crossing center point 23 of the slit along the slit 22, and closes the slit. There is no need to continue heating. When the heating is stopped after melting and the melting point is set to be equal to or lower than the melting point, it is solidified again and becomes a solid state, and a solid film solidified on the surface of the elastic sheet 21 can be formed. In this embodiment, the heating for melting the resealing substance 4 is performed directly or indirectly on the surface of the elastic sheet 21 provided with the resealing substance 4 or the upper end of the well. It is preferable to heat.

  It is preferable that the resealing substance 4 does not become an obstacle to the suction or discharge operation of the solution by the liquid dispensing means, and is disposed at a site where the slit 22 is closed after the operation is completed. For example, the outer surface of the elastic sheet 21 (the surface not facing the well plate 11) is preferably disposed between the outer diameter of the slit 22 and the inner diameter of the opening 13. Moreover, it is preferable that it is donut shape as shown in FIG. The resealing material 4 processed into a donut shape is preferably disposed at a position where the outer periphery is in contact with the inner wall of the hole 32.

  Further, when two or more elastic sheets 21 are used, the resealable material 4 can be provided between the two stacked elastic sheets 21. However, in this case, the resealable material 4 is also between the elastic sheets 21 as shown in FIG. 5 so that the biopolymer solution treated in the present invention and the reagent therefor do not come into contact with the resealable material 4. In addition, it is preferably arranged in a donut shape.

  In order to protect the resealable material 4 and the elastic sheet 21 disposed on the outer surface of the elastic sheet 21, a protective sheet or the like may be further disposed on the outer side (upper layer). In the present embodiment, the protective sheet can be an aluminum sheet, but is not limited thereto. 6A is a plan view of the aluminum sheet 5, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view thereof. The aluminum sheet 5 is not limited to an aluminum sheet, as long as it can protect the surface and can be easily penetrated by a dispensing means such as a pipette tip.

The biopolymer solution processing method using the container according to the present invention includes a container for holding a liquid and at least one opening at an upper end of the container, and is resealed at least once even after being opened. A biopolymer solution processing method using a biopolymer solution processing container, characterized in that: (1) The liquid held in the container is sucked by the liquid dispensing means, or the container Any one of the steps of discharging a liquid into the interior of the container, and (2) a step of heating the biopolymer solution processing container.
In addition, it is preferable that the step (1) is performed below the melting point of the sealing material, and the heating temperature in the step (2) is equal to or higher than the melting point of the resealing material.

(Second Embodiment)
The second embodiment of the present invention is a biopolymer solution processing method using the biopolymer solution processing container described in the first embodiment. (1) It is held inside the container by liquid dispensing means. A biopolymer solution processing method comprising either a step of sucking or discharging a liquid to be discharged and (2) a step of heating the biopolymer solution processing container.

  In the second embodiment, the liquid dispensing means is preferably performed via a pipette tip attached to a nozzle provided in a dispenser, and the pipette tip is preferably removable from the nozzle. . In particular, a pipette tip that can be fully automated or semi-automated, or a pipette tip that is detachable from a nozzle that can be fully automated or semi-automated is preferable.

  In the second embodiment, since the lid member of the biopolymer solution processing container is provided with the resealing substance 4, the step (1) is preferably performed below the melting point of the resealing substance 4, Specifically, it is preferable to carry out at 25 degrees C or less. Further, since the step (2) is a step for resealing the container, it is necessary to heat the melting point 4 or higher in order to melt the resealable material 4. Therefore, the step (2) is preferably performed at 26 ° C. or more, and particularly preferably performed at any temperature of 27 ° C., 28 ° C., 29 ° C. or 30 ° C. Note that heating at 30 ° C. or higher is not excluded from the present invention, and can be appropriately adjusted depending on the resealing substance 4 used.

In the present embodiment, the heating for melting the resealable substance 4 is performed by a process of heating the biopolymer solution processing container (well). In particular, it is preferable to directly or indirectly heat the surface of the elastic sheet 21 provided with the resealing substance 4 or the upper end of the well.
Moreover, you may provide the aluminum sheet 5 inside the elastic sheet 21 which has a slit. In this case, since the elastic sheet 21 having a slit becomes a mold for resealing, the slit 22 may have a structure penetrating in advance.

  The heating in step (2) in the second embodiment is different from the heating in amplification of a biopolymer such as a nucleic acid. For example, since the heating process in the case of amplifying nucleic acid by PCR is usually performed at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the resealing substance 4, a heating process for melting the resealing substance 4 is not performed separately. Can be done together.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example is given and this invention is demonstrated more concretely, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to these Examples at all.

Example 1 Production of Nucleic Acid Treatment Container 200 μL of ultrapure water was dispensed into a 96-well PCR plate (AxyGen product). The opening at the upper end of the well plate was covered with a silicone sheet in which four slits were radially formed so as to match the position of the opening of each well plate. Since the silicone sheet is coated with an adhesive on the surface on the well plate side, it can be fixed on the well plate. Furthermore, a plastic clamp having holes at the same position as the opening of the well plate was fixed from the top of the sheet.

  Next, CPAO-1 (melting point: 28 ° C., product of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.), which is a polyolefin wax processed into a donut shape, was placed in the holes of the clamp. The donut-shaped CPAO-1 was produced by pouring into a mold having a donut shape in a state of being heated to a temperature higher than the melting point and becoming a liquid, and cooling to a temperature lower than the melting point. Arranged so that the center of the doughnut-shaped CPAO-1 (point 41 in FIG. 5) and the intersection of the slits (point 23 in FIG. 3) overlap each other, so as not to obstruct the suction or discharge operation by the pipette tip. . Finally, an aluminum sheet for protecting the surface was attached to obtain a desired nucleic acid processing container.

  When the nucleic acid processing container produced by the above procedure was penetrated with a pipette tip and the ultrapure water inside was stirred, the droplets of the solution did not scatter to the outside of the container. Moreover, the slit was obstruct | occluded by heating the upper end part of the nucleic acid processing container to 30 degreeC after completion | finish of dispensing, and melt | dissolving CPAO-1. After closing the slit, it was allowed to stand at room temperature (25 ° C.) for 48 hours, but there was almost no change in the weight of the nucleic acid treatment container, and evaporation of the internal solution was hardly confirmed.

Example 2 Nucleic Acid Processing Method Using Nucleic Acid Processing Container A nucleic acid processing container holding a nucleic acid purification reagent was prepared according to the procedure of Example 1. ChargeSwitch PCR Clean-Up System (product of Invitrogen Corporation) was used as the nucleic acid purification reagent, and the sample was purified after the PCR reaction. Each used well was heated at the top to close the slit.

  When using each reagent, it was not confirmed that the droplets of the solution were scattered outside. Further, the weight of the nucleic acid treatment container hardly changed after the slit was closed, and the evaporation of the internal solution was hardly confirmed.

  The present invention provides a container suitable for processing such as amplification and purification of biopolymers, particularly nucleic acids. Moreover, the processing method using the said container is provided. The said container and method are suitable when performing the said process with an automatic apparatus.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the nucleic acid processing container in 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a top view of the well which comprises the nucleic acid processing container in 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the sectional drawing. (A) is a top view of the elastic sheet which comprises the nucleic acid processing container in 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the sectional drawing. (A) is a top view of the clamp which comprises the nucleic acid processing container in 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the sectional drawing. (A) is a top view of the substance which obstruct | occludes the slit which comprises the nucleic acid processing container in 1st Embodiment of this invention, (b) is the sectional drawing. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the aluminum sheet which comprise the nucleic acid processing container in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a cut surface of the slit which has not penetrated diagonally with respect to the thickness direction of an elastic sheet in a 1st embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

4: Resealable material 5: Aluminum sheet 11: Well plate 12: Liquid holding part 13: Opening part 21: Elastic sheet 22: Slit 23: Center point 31: Clamp 32: Hole

Claims (12)

  A biopolymer solution processing container comprising a container that holds a liquid and a lid member that seals at least one opening at an upper end of the container, wherein at least one of the lid members is opened. A container for treating a biopolymer solution, which can be resealed once.   2. The biopolymer solution treatment according to claim 1, wherein the liquid held in the container is a nucleic acid solution and at least one kind of reagent selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid amplification reagent and a nucleic acid purification reagent. Container.   3. The biopolymer solution processing container according to claim 1, wherein the lid member is made of an elastic sheet material.   The biopolymer solution processing container according to claim 1, wherein at least one slit is provided in the lid member.   The biopolymer solution processing container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a resealing substance for resealing the lid member is provided on at least one surface of the lid member. .   The biopolymer solution processing container according to claim 5, wherein the resealing material has a melting point of 26 ° C.   The biopolymer processing container according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the resealing substance is at least one substance selected from the group consisting of paraffin wax and polyolefin wax. A biopolymer solution treatment method using the biopolymer solution treatment container according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
(1) Either step of sucking the liquid held inside the container or discharging the liquid into the container by the liquid dispensing means;
(2) A method of treating a biopolymer solution, comprising the step of heating the biopolymer solution treatment container.   9. The biopolymer solution processing method according to claim 8, wherein the liquid dispensing means performs dispensing via a pipette tip attached to a nozzle provided in a dispenser.   The biopolymer solution processing method according to claim 9, wherein the pipette tip is detachable from the nozzle.   9. The step (1) is performed below the melting point of the sealing material, and the heating temperature in the step (2) is equal to or higher than the melting point of the resealing material. The biopolymer solution treatment method according to any one of claims 10 to 10.   12. The process according to claim 8, wherein the step (1) is performed at 25 ° C. or less, and the heating temperature in the process (2) is 26 ° C. or more. The biopolymer solution processing method.

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