A computerized system for acquiring DNA solution viscosity data

A new computerized system for monitoring time-dependent viscosity changes of DNA solutions is reported. It provides an extremely sensitive measure of DNA lesions induced by chemical carcinogens. The described apparatus consists of some precision mechanical modules, derived by an early manual version of the system, and of some new electronic parts as optical sensors, a microprocessor-based unit and a personal computer. The new system allows the analysis of more than one specimen at the same time. Compared with the early manual method of measuring, this computerized system, by removing subjectivity and a certain number of casual and systematic errors that might occur with the operator manual intervention, makes possible the evaluation of the resolving power of the viscometers themselves in detecting viscosity changes.