faq

Q:	How should I cast my agarose gels to get the best resolution?
A:	We usually cast agarose gels 3 mm to 4 mm thick. The gel volume needed can easily be estimated by measuring the surface area of the casting chamber, then multiplying by the gel thickness. Thinner gels can be cast on GelBond™ Support Film, and/or cast in a vertical apparatus. The thickness of the comb in the direction of the electrical field can also profoundly affect the resolution. A thin comb (1 mm) will result in sharper DNA bands. With too thick a comb, the separated DNA bands will be quite broad.

How should I cast my agarose gels to get the best resolution?

We usually cast agarose gels 3 mm to 4 mm thick. The gel volume needed can easily be estimated by measuring the surface area of the casting chamber, then multiplying by the gel thickness.

Thinner gels can be cast on GelBond™ Support Film, and/or cast in a vertical apparatus.

The thickness of the comb in the direction of the electrical field can also profoundly affect the resolution.

A thin comb (1 mm) will result in sharper DNA bands. With too thick a comb, the separated DNA bands will be quite broad.

Categories:

Electrophoreses and Analysis

Research Areas:

Molecular Biology