You can receive a hard copy of the four-color chromatogram with base assignments, as well as an uncorrected text file on a user-provided, IBM-formatted diskette. In addition, the file containing the chromatogram with base assignments can be transferred to your diskette or CD-R (maximum of 8 chromatograms/1.4-MB diskette or several hundred for a CD-R). This file can be read in various software packages, including Staden (UNIX-based, use DOS-formatted diskette); Sequencher (Mac-based); and ABI's Factura, Sequence Navigator, and Autoassembler (all Mac-based).

Results, including chromatograms, can also be E-mailed, although file size restictions common to E-mail servers may make ftp a more attractive option for frequent, large users. (You may wish to talk with Facility personnel about this.) A copy of your data will be retained by the DNA Sequencing Facility for six months, after which time it will be discarded.

Of particular interest to smaller users, ABI provides freeware that enables users to view and edit chromatograms on Windows-based computers (called Sequence Scanner Software v1.0; see http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/support/software_community
/free_ab_software.cfmsupport/software_community/free_ab_software.cfm).

Separate software for Apple computers is also available. To use an Apple computer, first download and then run the 3100 conversion utility (available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/support/software/3100/utilities.cfm
support/software/3100/utilities.cfm).

Second, download and then run Editview (available for download at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/support/software). The edited sequence can then be exported as text.

A non-Applied-Biosystems freeware program for Windows computers is also available (called Chromas Lite; see http://www.technelysium.com.au/chromas_lite.html).

If you wish to view chromatograms on IBM-type computers, a shareware program called Chromas is available by visiting: http://www.technelysium.com.au/. Sequence Scanner Software v1.0 requires 62.8 MB of hard drive space; whereas, Chromas Lite requires only 216 KB.

Depending on template quality and concentration, nucleotide base assignments reliably begin 50-bp downstream from the 3' end of the primer sequence and typically extend for an additional 650-900 bp.. Under optimal conditions, assignments can begin within 10 bp of the primer sequence. Perkin-Elmer/ABI guarantees 98.5% accuracy up to 850 bp for their control template.