Prepared Dye Solutions for Electrophoresis

Your students will gain experience with the principles and practice of gel electrophoresis without the extra time and expense of running DNA.  This product consists of prepared solutions of four dyes in water/glycerol:

• Xylene cyanol

• Orange G

• Bromophenol blue

• Methyl green

Due to differing polarity, load these dyes into the central well of the gel.  The first three are negatively charged and migrate to the positive electrode, but Methyl Green carries a positive charge and migrates to the negative electrode.  Glycerol in the solvent increases the density of the solutions so they sink into the wells and behave more like micro-samples of DNA mixed with buffered loading dye.

Since the dyes are visible in the gel, your students will observe the entire separation process as it unfolds, and no extra staining step is required.  Suggested activities include deducing the components of dye mixtures and comparing the rate of migration at different voltage settings.

Volume supplied = approx 450uL of each dye solution (0.2% w/v), plus two vials containing different dye mixtures (approx 450uL each).

Download a timelapse movie showing separation of these dyes during electrophoresis on a 1% plain agar gel in NaHCO₃ buffer - opens in a new window, mp4 file, 3.5M, opens with QuickTime or iTunes (may be played on a video iPod).             Download the free Quicktime player