[Determination of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using digital image analysis]

The use of a video system to analyse restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) was assessed concerning precision and accuracy. In comparison to a manual, ruler based measurement technique the automated system (Bioimage/Millipore) showed excellent agreement in optical resolution and precision, having a little smaller differences between multiple measurements of restriction fragments. The variation between kb-values detected with both procedures is very small and lies in the dimension of the optical resolution of both measurement techniques. Moreover the fragment sizes are scattered rather homogeneously around a fictive mean value, at which the video system in part shows slightly higher kb-numbers.