Gel Electophorsis

Introduction:

How can a mixture of molecules, too small to be seen with even a high-powered microscope, be separated from one another ?

Such was the dilemma facing scientists until the developement of a process that has now become standard in many laboratories

woldwide ---Gel Electrophorsis . Laboratories rely heavily on this proven and reliable technique for separating a wide variety of

samples , from DNA used in forensics and for mapping genes , to proteins useful in determining evolutionary relationships.

Materials:

*Electrophoresis chamber,

*Power supply that produces 50-150 volts

*Agar Agar granules

*Salt solution

*Commercial food colors

*Filter paper circles (cut out with hole punch)

*Tweezers

*Masking tape

*Water

Procedure:

1) Prepare Agarose Gel and Other Required items;This will determine how much agarose must be added (calculated in percentage) to an electrophoresis buffer, known as the TAE or TBE running buffer.

2)Assemble the Gel;The solution is poured into a gel casting tray, which may have open ends that must be sealed by either taping these closed or adjusting clips to prevent the solution from leaking out.

3)Loading the Gel;The gel is gently removed and the entire casting tray is submerged into an electrophoretic tank containing enough electrophoresis buffer to cover the entire surface of the gel, prevent the gel from drying out and short circuits from interfering.

4) Running the Gel;The electrophoresis apparatus is prepared by checking that the leads are oriented in the right direction in the tank so that the sample will migrate from the negative (cathode) to positive (anode) ends of the gel.

5) Now you have to wait till the Gel Electophorsis is ready and has already moved

Scientific Principle:

Gel electrophoresis is an essential molecular biology technique for the analysis of DNA segments no larger than 25 kilobases and no smaller than 500 bases. It is used by trained molecular biologists to determine the size of a DNA fragment for subsequent experiments such as gene cloning, and due to the highly technical and biological nature, users of the following procedure are assumed to have had formal training in advanced biology and laboratory safety protocols.

Safety Regulations:

When doing this lab "Gel Electrophorsis" safety googles should always be worn routinely as good laboratory practice.

Alsow, you should wear a apron to protect your clothes from any danger.

Another thing is that you need to use gloves to protect your hands from any substance.