USER GUIDE StainEase Gel Staining Tray Catalog Number NI2400 Revision date 19 March 2012 Publication Part number IM-2400 MAN0000731 For Research Use Only. Not intended for any animal or human therapeutic or diagnostic use.
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Contents Kit Contents... iv Introduction... 1 General Information... 1 Methods... 3 Using the StainEase Gel Staining Tray... 3 Appendix... 6 Accessory Products... 6 Technical Support... 7 Purchaser Notification... 9 iii
Kit Contents Contents The StainEase Gel Staining Tray contains: 2 clear outer containers 2 removable white strainers 2 clear lids with handle 1 package of water-proof labels. Product Use For research use only. Not intended for any animal or human therapeutic or diagnostic use. iv
General Information Introduction Introduction The StainEase Gel Staining Tray provides a fast and easy way to effectively and evenly stain mini-gels, while preventing gel breakage. The StainEase Gel Staining Tray parts are fabricated from polycarbonate and are compatible with the most frequently used stain solutions such as: Coomassie Blue R250 stain Colloidal Blue Stain SilverXpress Silver Stain Ethidium bromide stain Note: The StainEase Gel Staining Tray is not compatible with the SilverQuest Silver Stain. The StainEase Gel Staining Tray can also be used for other pre or post-staining solution incubations such as Zymogram gel renaturation and development, and gel drying. The tray accommodates up to 500 ml of solution and easily fits up to four mini-gels. Features of the StainEase Staining Tray Clear outer container and lid allow you to visualize the gels during the staining process Rounded staining tray parts with no sharp corners prevent any gel damage White strainer provides best background for seeing the contrast between the gel and the bands in colored staining procedures such as Coomassie and silver staining A perforated strainer insert allows you to quickly change the stain solution without handling the gel Recessed tray lids allow stable stacking of up to 6 tray units per stack Polycarbonate material allows easy and thorough cleaning of the tray since polycarbonate is resistant to stain absorption Continued on next page 1
General Information, Continued Specifications Assembled Unit For best results, we recommend staining 1 4 mini-gels per staining tray. Fits mini-gels size: up to 9 cm 9 cm Footprint: 14.5 cm diameter Total volume: 500 ml Minimum volume recommended: 100 ml per gel Maximum trays recommended per stack: 6 units (at orbital shaker speeds up to 100 rpm) Components Container: Clear polycarbonate Strainer insert: White polycarbonate Lid with handle: Clear polycarbonate Labels: Polyvinyl coating Materials Chemical Resistance The StainEase Gel Staining Tray is impervious to alcohol, but is not compatible with chlorinated hydrocarbons (e.g. chloroform), aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. toluene, benzene) or acetone. The StainEase Gel Staining Tray is compatible with: Standard reagents found in Coomassie staining Colloidal Coomassie staining Silver staining Ethidium bromide staining Zymogram gel renaturation and development Gel drying Heat Resistance Heat resistant to 120 C Microwave resistant 2
Methods Using the StainEase Gel Staining Tray RECOMMENDATION Follow the recommendations described below to obtain the best staining results: To ensure that the gels are sufficiently covered with the staining solution, use at least 100 ml of staining solution. Do not stain more than 4 gels in each unit. Scale the solution volumes according to the number of gels being stained. To avoid cross contamination, use a separate staining tray for each type of staining procedure. This is especially critical for obtaining high signal and low background in silver staining protocols. Always wear gloves while handling gels, preparing staining solutions, and performing staining. Procedure The StainEase Gel Staining Tray is compatible with the standard reagents used in the common staining methods, including Coomassie staining, Colloidal Coomassie Staining, Silver Staining, and Ethidium Bromide staining. 1. In the clear outer container, prepare the first solution of your staining protocol according to the instructions. 2. Place the white strainer insert inside the clear outer container filled with staining solution. 3. After electrophoresis is complete, remove the gel from the cassette and place the gel into the container/strainer set-up containing the stain. 4. To properly identify the gels you are staining, place one of the erasable labels from the kit on the lid handle and another label on the outer container. Continued on next page 3
Using StainEase Gel Staining Tray, Continued Procedure, Continued 5. Fill in the information with a permanent laboratory marker as shown in the following figure. The sticker surface is laminated to provide a water-resistant writing surface. To erase the written information on the label before your next experiment, wipe the label with a laboratory wipe dipped in ethanol or methanol. Allow the label to dry completely prior to writing on the surface again. 6. Place the lid on the assembled tray and continue with your staining protocol. Up to 6 StainEase Gel Staining Trays can be stacked on top of each other on an orbital shaker set at 100 rpm. 7. To change stain solutions, lift the strainer (with the gel still inside) out of the unit. It is not necessary to remove the lid from the strainer. 8. Tilt the strainer slightly for a few seconds to remove all the solution. Set the strainer with gel aside and empty the stain from the container into an appropriate waste receptacle. If a water rinse is required between solutions, simply rinse the gel by holding the strainer under the water source and agitate gently. 9. Prepare the next solution in the container and place the strainer with gel back into the container. For a quick solution change, prepare the second solution in a second outer container and transfer the strainer and gel to this container. 10. Repeat steps 7 9 of this procedure for all the required solution changes according to your staining protocol. 4 Continued on next page
Using StainEase Gel Staining Tray, Continued Procedure, Continued 11. If you are drying the gel after staining, rinse the gel after staining and place the gel drying solution, such as Gel- Dry Drying solution (see page 6 for ordering information), into the container. Insert the strainer and proceed with the drying protocol. 12. Remove the gel carefully with a gloved hand or by gently sliding the gel directly from the strainer. Cleaning After use, clean all parts of the StainEase Gel Staining Tray by washing with a mild basic detergent, such as Alconox detergent. Rinse the tray with deionized water and allow the tray to dry. To remove residual stain discolorations, use a 5 10% bleach solution, 100% ethanol, or 100% methanol. To erase information written with a permanent laboratory marker on the coated labels, use ethanol or methanol. 5
Accessory Products Appendix Additional Products The following table lists products that may be used for staining or drying the gel. Product Quantity Catalog no. SimplyBlue SafeStain 1 L LC6060 SilverXpress Silver Staining Kit 1 kit LC6100 DryEase Mini-Gel Drying System 1 kit NI2387 Gel-Dry Drying Solution (1X) 500 ml LC4025 Colloidal Blue Staining Kit 1 kit LC6025 6
Technical Support Obtaining support For the latest services and support information for all locations, go to www.lifetechnologies.com/support. At the website, you can: Access worldwide telephone and fax numbers to contact Technical Support and Sales facilities Search through frequently asked questions (FAQs) Submit a question directly to Technical Support (techsupport@lifetech.com) Search for user documents, SDSs, vector maps and sequences, application notes, formulations, handbooks, certificates of analysis, citations, and other product support documents Obtain information about customer training Download software updates and patches Safety Data Sheets (SDS) Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are available at www.lifetechnologies.com/support. Certificate of Analysis The Certificate of Analysis provides detailed quality control and product qualification information for each product. Certificates of Analysis are available on our website. Go to www.lifetechnologies.com/support and search for the Certificate of Analysis by product lot number, which is printed on the box. Continued on next page 7
Technical Support, Continued Limited Warranty Life Technologies Corporation is committed to providing our customers with high-quality goods and services. Our goal is to ensure that every customer is 100% satisfied with our products and our service. If you should have any questions or concerns about a Life Technologies product or service, contact our Technical Support Representatives. All Life Technologies products are warranted to perform according to specifications stated on the certificate of analysis. The Company will replace, free of charge, any product that does not meet those specifications. This warranty limits the Company s liability to only the price of the product. No warranty is granted for products beyond their listed expiration date. No warranty is applicable unless all product components are stored in accordance with instructions. The Company reserves the right to select the method(s) used to analyze a product unless the Company agrees to a specified method in writing prior to acceptance of the order. Life Technologies makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of its publications, but realizes that the occasional typographical or other error is inevitable. Therefore the Company makes no warranty of any kind regarding the contents of any publications or documentation. If you discover an error in any of our publications, report it to our Technical Support Representatives. Life Technologies Corporation shall have no responsibility or liability for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential loss or damage whatsoever. The above limited warranty is sole and exclusive. No other warranty is made, whether expressed or implied, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. 8
Purchaser Notification Limited Use Label License: Research Use Only The purchase of this product conveys to the purchaser the limited, non-transferable right to use the purchased amount of the product only to perform internal research for the sole benefit of the purchaser. No right to resell this product or any of its components is conveyed expressly, by implication, or by estoppel. This product is for internal research purposes only and is not for use in commercial services of any kind, including, without limitation, reporting the results of purchaser s activities for a fee or other form of consideration. For information on obtaining additional rights, please contact outlicensing@lifetech.com or Out Licensing, Life Technologies, 5791 Van Allen Way, Carlsbad, California 92008. 2012 Life Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved. The trademarks mentioned herein are the property of Life Technologies Corporation or their respective owners. Alconox is a registered trademark of Alconox, Inc 9
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