DNA Melter Improvements

This page catalogs improvements made to the apparatus for the 20.309 DNA Melting Lab Module.

Physically Restrained Optical System

Because people have to carry their DNA melters from place to place, the optical system tends to get misaligned very easily, leading to noisy data. Here are some ways to make the system more stable:

• Use PART NAME to hold the heat sink in place on the breadboard.

• Bend down the leads of the TEC and tie them to the 'legs' of the heat sink with short pieces of wire. (By itself this doesn't help very much, but in combination with thermal grease, it makes a big difference.)

• Use cage rods to hold together the sample block, the photodiode, the filter, and the lenses of the fluorescence detector. To avoid conducting heat out of the sample block, add nylon standoffs to your cage rods.

• TODO: can I also attach the LED to the sample block?

• TODO: photos