FAQ
you have the question – we have the answer
How to
In short:
Enter your DNA/RNA sequence using the included touch screen, USB flash drive or your computer.
Insert Kilobasers' innovative microfluidic chip & reagent cartridge for DNA/RNA synthesis.
Press start - within two hours you get your ready-to-use DNA/RNA!
But a video says more than 39 words:
Have a look at our gas supply tutorial, where Alex shows you how to connect a 1 liter argon gas bottle to the push-in connector on the Kilobaser.
For more detailed information about the gas supply check out our blog post: Gas Supply for Kilobaser.
Step 1: Start your DNA synthesis as usual until Kilobaser prompts you to change the reagent cartridge.
Step 2: Follow these 3 steps which will take you through ‘Reagent Exchange’ process:
Release the cartridge
Exchange cartridge
Press ‘confirm’ to log the cartridge
By inserting a new reagent cartridge, 20 minutes are added ahead of the actual synthesis to automatically prepare the new phosphoramidites. The DNA synthesis starts automatically as soon as the cartridge is ready for it.
Note: You can also change the reagent cartridge before the consumption or expiration of an old one.
Be aware that you can no longer use the old cartridge!
To force the cartridge exchange click on the extended options menu at your entered sequence.
Select the option ‘Force cartridge change’.
Now follow the steps as described above.
General Information
Kilobaser is a desktop DNA/RNA synthesizer. DNA/RNA synthesizers are life science laboratory devices used to print custom DNA/RNA oligos for research, genetic engineering or diagnostic purposes. The DNA/RNA oligos can have any desired nucleotide sequence and artificial chemical modifications such as reporter dyes for DNA probes. The length of the oligos is usually limited from 1 base up to a couple dozen bases.
Kilobaser, which uses a unique cartridge and microfluidic chip based system, is not just the fastest synthesizer, it’s also specially designed to make DNA & RNA synthesis effortless for any biologist. Our mission is to democratize DNA synthesis and make the technology accessible for any lab.
Kilobaser uses a well established chemical synthesis system known as phosphoramidite chemistry and solid-phase synthesis.
Unique to Kilobaser are two innovations:
The cartridge system, where each cartridge holds all necessary reagents for the synthesis. That way DNA & RNA synthesis becomes effortless for every biologist – without any training.
The microfluidic chip, which is a consumable containing valves for the liquid reagents as well as the solid-phase, where the growing nucleotide chains are anchored to.
For more detail, visit our technology page.
Independence. Planability. Speed. Security. Scientists can synthesize custom primers by themselves, whenever they want. You know exactly when your DNA is ready to use, no need to hope for the courier to arrive. Faster innovation cycles due to quickly available oligos. This makes it easy to plan experiments ahead. Several iterations can be done on a single day. The customer is able to stay in control of proprietary information as your data stays inhouse.
The total liquid volume in each cartridge is just roughly 18mL. The volume of all microfluidic channels in the microfluidic chip is 4µl and thus Kilobaser produces 50% less hazardous waste than usual column-based synthesizers. Per base, the Kilobaser needs 75µL of total liquid volume which will eventually turn to waste. The waste is constantly pumped back into a waste bottle in the cartridge and can be long term stored in there.
Since the cartridge contains hazardous chemicals, please ensure cartridges are removed in accordance with current regulations in your country.
Yes, with Kilobaser DNA & RNA Synthesizer Extended Edition you can synthesize modified oligos by easy combining our reagent cartridges and microfluidic chips.
Yes, with Kilobaser DNA & RNA Synthesizer Extended Edition you can synthesize 2'-MOE RNA, 2'-OMe RNA as well as 2'-F RNA.
The hands-on time to start a new synthesis is roughly 2 minutes.
All you need to install your Kilobaser is a power supply, a gas source (nitrogen or argon) and a table or bench top.Make sure the environment around the device is dry, as DNA and RNA synthesis is sensitive to moisture.
Service & Warranty
The standard warranty for your Kilobaser DNA & RNA Synthesizer is 1 year with the option to extend it to 5 years.
Yes, there is. You can buy an extension of the warranty directly with the purchase of your device.
In case that there is a failure which can’t be repaired remote, your device will be promptly replaced with a new Kilobaser at the lowest possible effort for you.
In this case, please contact our support team, we will find a solution!
For each error report, there is an entry in our use-manual. You can view and download it at manual.kilobaser.com. If you still can't solve the problem yourself, please contact our support team via mail at [email protected]
Yes, we offer all software updates free of charge!
No, internet is optional for remote support, but never required. Updates can also be done by you manually and offline with usb stick. We will ask you in the process of informing you about a new software update, in which form you want to perform it.
All you need to install your Kilobaser is a power supply, a gas source (nitrogen or argon) and a table or bench top.Make sure the environment around the device is dry, as DNA and RNA synthesis is sensitive to moisture.
Shipping & Payment
You can choose between direct bank transfer, paypal or credit card payment. Depending on the selected payment method may incur additional costs. You will be notified in the store.
Please contact our motivated sales team for further information. Send a mail to [email protected] or use our livechat
Generally your order will be shipped ex works, but we will gladly take care of shipping.
We send the safety data sheets with your order.
As soon as your order is shipped, we will send you the tracking number via e-mail. In addition, you can track the status of your order in your Kilobaser account or contact your Kilobaser representative.
Yes, within 2 months after receipt and for a restocking fee you can return your Kilobaser Desktop Synthesizer to us. Please contact our support team via e-mail to [email protected].
You can change your billing information in your Kilobaser account or contact our sales team.
Typical delivery time for out of stock products is 6 weeks, but please check with [email protected] for urgent requests.
Depending on the destination country, shipping takes 1-10 business days on average. Upon customer request, there are faster methods for an additional charge.
Delivery costs are included in the invoice. It is possible to give us your customer number of DHL or FedEx, so that the billing runs directly over you. We will then charge for the Kilobaser 60€ and for the Consumables 30€/carton (max. 20 pieces) for packaging and handling only.
The Kilobaser will be shipped in a wooden box with the dimensions 40x40x60cm, ~27kg. Depending on the quantity of ordered cartridges and chips in DAP15 and DAP20 boxes between 2 and 4 kg.
We ship mainly with DHL and in exceptional cases with FedEx.
Contact us at [email protected] we will try to find a quick solution.
Cartridges
Depending on the length of your sequence, you get different numbers of oligos out of it.
Here examples:
5 oligos with 30 bases
6 oligos with 25 bases
7 oligos with 20 bases
Depending on the length of your sequence, you get different numbers of oligos out of it.
Here examples:
5 oligos with 20 bases
6 oligos with 16 bases + 4 bases left
7 oligos with 14 bases + 2 bases left
The shelf life of cartridges is one year minimum, and we recommend reagent cartridges be stored at 4°C. After inserted into Kilobaser, the reagent cartridges can be used for up to two weeks or until 150 bases are synthesized. The cartridge should remain inserted into Kilobaser until it is used up.
We've shaken up decades of established chemical dna synthesis and advanced the chemicals to eliminate the need for halogenated solvents! At the same time, the system remains compatible with the vast ecosystem of DNA & RNA modifications. Our patented cartridges simplify handling so dramatically that there is no contact with the chemistry. To ensure safe handling, the cartridges are a closed system, even the waste stays in the cartridge! You don't even need to know what's in it! 😉
The cartridges must be disposed of as solvent waste.
We have done our best to make our consumables as environmentally friendly as possible. Therefore, we have developed our DNA & RNA synthesis in such a way that, unlike usual, no halogenated solvents are needed.
Chips
'Chip based' means using a small synthetic chip instead of a reagent carrying tubing system, which wastes a big amount of chemicals during operation. This technique is one of the main reasons why Kilobaser saves costs on a large scale. On the one hand you need a lot less reagents and on the other hand you produce a lot less hazardous waste, manufacturing the same amount of DNA as conventional synthesizers.
Because the column at which the synthesis starts is integrated into the microfluidic chip, it can only be used once.
If stored correctly, the chip has a shelf life of one year.
The fluidic chips should be stored in the dark at room temperature.
Our microfluid chips can simply be disposed of with laboratory waste.
Since the number of syntheses possible with one cartridge is not fixed (sequence length dependent), we offer the chips for sale individually.
You require as many chips as you want to synthesize probes. Since you need a new chip for each synthesis.
DNA Probes
You need to order the BHQ-1 microfluidic chips and the 6-FAM DNA cartridge for your Kilobaser device. Choose the TaqMan probes in Kilobaser Extended Edition software and insert the consumables as described on the screen. After the synthesis is finished you have to follow the manual purification protocol.
You need to order the FISH probe microfluidic chips and the 6-FAM DNA cartridge for your Kilobaser device. Choose the FISH probes in Kilobasers software and insert the consumables as described on the screen. After the synthesis is finished you have to follow the manual purification protocol.
The following DNA/RNA modification are currently available for Kilobaser users:
Standard DNA
6-FAM dye labeled DNA oligos
BHQ-1 & 6-FAM dye dual labeled DNA oligos
Per-thiolated DNA oligos
Fully 2’ MOE RNA oligos
Fully thiolated RNA oligos
Please inquire further modifications at: [email protected]. We’re happy to create custom cartridges for you.
You need to order the RNA microfluidic chips and the RNA cartridge for your Kilobaser device.
DNA Oligos
Oligos printed by Kilobaser show a stepwise yield or coupling efficiency of 99.5% is the yield per base. This is comparable to any other manufacturer.
(Calculation: 0.995 to the power of the number of bases, i.e. for a 20 base primer=0.995^20= 0.9046 yield=yield for a 20 base primer, i.e. 0.9046*100= 90% yield (which means 90% full length product) and 10% are truncated sequences=shorter bases)
The total yield is expected to be 300pmol.
If exact concentration is needed for experiments, we recommend measuring it before with Qubit.
The product is a dry DNA of any desired length up to 50 bases.
Oligos can either be stored dry or resuspended in TE (Tris-EDTA) buffer. Tris-EDTA is a commonly used buffer solution for storing nucleic acids, especially DNA. The buffer keeps the DNA soluble in water and EDTA, a chelator of cations such as magnesium, protects DNA against enzymatic degradation.
Oligos that are stored at RT or 4°C in TE buffer are more stable than dry oligos. Oligos resuspended in water are the least stable. However, at 4°C, DNA is stable for at least one year under all these conditions. Additionally, it is recommended to store oligos in the dark.
The DNA comes out of the machine dry and ready to use and automatic cleavage and final deprotection is performed by Kilobaser. There is no de-salting step involved as our system produces an extremely low amount of salt due to the low total reagent volume used while synthesizing.
Primers are eluted from the Kilobaser (ONE/ONE-XT) and are ready to use for most applications, such as PCR/qPCR. After each DNA synthesis, the instrument automatically performs a final deprotection/cleavage step.
No desalting step is required. Thanks to the lowest possible volume of the microfluidic channels, our system generates minimal salt concentrations. Therefore, we have not yet encountered any applications where these low levels present any problem.
For highly sophisticated applications sensitive to even trace amounts of salts, such as NMR or crystallography, we recommend purification by means of a size exclusion column or our Kilobaser HIC OliPure Kit. Other specific applications may require HPLC or PAGE purification.After probe synthesis (e.g. 6-Fam), purification of the product is necessary. Apply the Kilobaser OliPure Kit to remove any unreacted dye residue from the sample.
Any DNA synthesizer follows the same principle: One nucleotide gets added to the strand at a time. Each step has a certain stepwise yield or error probability, these errors add up the longer the oligo you synthesize is. This ‘stepwise yield (%)’ is typically around 99,5%, leaving 0,5% error rate per nucleotide added. The theoretical total yield can be calculated: 0,995^x = total yield; where x is the number of nucleotides you want.
Not sure what fits best? No problem. We will help!
you have furhter questions? Send us a message:
We are happy to introduce you to the world of Kilobaser
