Smeared Bands

Particulate in the sample: Standard loading buffers are often unable to completely dissolve complex samples-  fragments of bacterial cell walls, for example, can be carried over into the well.  Particulate material in the well blocks proteins from entering the gel and can bind proteins, allowing them to “bleed” into the lane over time, causing characteristic…

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Blotches on Gel

EC895

This gel can be recovered in most cases by fully destaining in methanol:water: acetic acid, followed by a fresh round of staining.  In severe cases, the deposits may be removed by gently spraying the gel surface with alcohol.  Blotches can be caused by overhandling of the gel, or by handling the gel without gloves.  This…

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Uneven Staining

EC895

Uneven staining is almost always the result of insufficient agitation during staining.  The gel is initially more dense than the staining solution and will tend to sink to the bottom of the dish.  Some portions of the gel will have stains under them, others will not, and the gel will show darker and lighter areas…

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Coomassie Blue Stain- Troubleshooting

EC895

If your gel doesn’t look like this one, click on the problem below to find the solution: Faint bands on a low background Learn More Faint bands on a high background Learn More Uneven Staining Learn More Dark Blotches on Gel Learn More Smeared or blurred bands Learn More The ProtoGel Sample Prep Kit gives…

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