Gel electrophoresis experiments bring important concepts of molecular biology to life for students. They give students laboratory skills they can use for the rest of their careers. And because the results of gel electrophoresis are visual, they are just plain fun.

Modern Biology provides everything biology instructors need for specific experiments, assuming their labs are equipped with all of the basic equipment that labs need for multiple experiments.

Agarose and Acrylamide for Making the Gel

Gel electrophoresis is impossible with the gel. Modern Biology sells both agarose and a polyacrylamide gel package for vertical electrophoresis.

Agarose is the most convenient medium for fractionating DNA, RNA, and proteins. Modern Biology’s high-concentration agarose has the large pore size needed to let large molecules through without the air bubbles that can ruin an experiment.

Modern Biology recommends against recycling gels. Reheating a gel in an acidic medium degrades it, so molecules take less time to cross the plate. Freezing and rethawing only works if you use the same buffer solution. Modern Biology strongly recommends one-time-only use.

Balances

Making a gel requires precise measurement of the agarose or acrylamide that goes into it. Modern Biology offers ADAM Equipment Compact Portable Balances, KLE Series Economy Balances, and the KHA Precision Balance. Email us or call us at (765) 446-4220 if you would like our input on choosing the right scale for your lab.

Hotplate with Stirrer

Gel solutions dissolve at specific temperatures. Modern Biology offers hotplates with either analog or digital controls. An optional probe is available for making solutions that require precise temperature control.

Micropipettes

Students apply precise amounts of test and control solutions to wells in the electrophoresis gel with micropipettes. Modern Biology offers both traditional manual analog micropipettors as well as variable automatic micropipettes by Labnet (from the BioPette Plus Series) and variable volume micropipettes by Walter Products.

VEU: Vertical Electrophoresis Unit

The VEU allows your students to do electrophoresis on two precast acrylamide gels simultaneously. When the system is run at 170 volts, electrophoresis takes about 40 minutes.

Walter Products EL-100 1 Chamber Electrophoresis Unit

The Walter Products EL-100 1 Chamber Electrophoresis Unit is perfect for demonstrations. Fitted with corrosion-resistant platinum wires, this also comes with six tooth combs and can run up to 16 samples simultaneously. The unit comes with adjustable leveling feet and a safety stop that prevents the flow of current when the cover is not secure. 

This unit has positive and negative signs etched on either end of the medium to ensure correct placement. It requires 500 ml of buffer.

Walter Products 2 Chamber Electrophoresis Unit

The Walter Products 2 Chamber Electrophoresis Unit is the right choice for experiments involving larger groups of students. It allows two 7 cm x 7 cm gel trays to run at the same time on the same instrument. Like all Walter electrophoresis units, it has a safety stop that prevents the flow of current before the protective cover is in place. Each tray has an embossed ruler and rubber end caps for easy comb placement. The 2-chamber unit also requires 500 ml of buffer, as well as its own power strip.

Walter Products 6 Chamber Electrophoresis Unit

The Walter Products 6 Chamber Electrophoresis Unit allows easy comparison of up to six simultaneous runs of electrophoresis on a single unit. Like other Walter electrophoresis units, this model has a safety stop to prevent students and instructors from getting shocked. Each tray of this model is also embossed for easy reading. This unit needs 1000 ml of buffer solution, as well as a power strip.

If you are looking for an imaging enclosure suitable for your smartphone, consider our E1201 myGel InstaView™ Electrophoresis System & Accessories. The viewer makes it easy to track progress during a run (a great feature when you are running out of lab time), and the system is compatible with safe stains such as SYBR® Green and SmartGlow™.Modern Biology has experts in electrophoresis to give you advice on how to pick the right products to fit your budget. Email us or call us at (765) 446-4220 today!