Electrophoresis relies on a basic process — particles moving in an electric field. Known for more than 200 years, this phenomenon still drives fundamental techniques in many labs and its long history plays a role in the widespread use of the technology. Current interest lies in making the technology, faster, more accurate and more sensitive.
9 Questions You Should Ask When Buying Electrophoresis Equipment and Gels
- How many gels per experiment can you run at once in a single electrophoresis cell?
- Can you run hand cast and precast gels with the same electrophoresis equipment?
- Can you blot in the same tank as you run the gels?
- How fast can you run a set of gels with optimal performance?
- How fast can you visualize your proteins in the gel?
- Do you need any special buffers or sample buffer to run your gel?
- Does a precast gel give you the same separation as a hand cast gel?
- How fast can you transfer proteins from your gel to a membrane?
- How efficiently can you transfer your high MW proteins from your gel to a membrane?
| Top ten factors/features considered by our readers when buying an electrophoresis system: | |
| Ease of use | 100% |
| Availability of supplies and accessories | 99% |
| Durability of product | 99% |
| Low operating costs | 98% |
| Fast time to results | 97% |
| Low maintenance/easy to clean | 97% |
| Integrated software lets you control the instrument | 97% |
| Footprint/size | 95% |
| Safety and health features | 94% |
| Price | 94% |
| The main application for electrophoresis use in our readers’ facilities: | |
| Protein Gel Electrophoresis | 33% |
| Western Blotting | 24% |
| Nucleic Acid Gel Electrophoresis & Blotting | 14% |
| DNA & Genome Sequence Analysis | 9% |
| Capillary Electrophoresis Sequencing & Fragment Analysis | 8% |
| Genotyping & Genomic Profiling | 4% |
| Protein Sample Preparation & Protein Purification | 4% |
| Other | 5% |
| The main issues with electrophoresis products being experienced by users: | |
| Time to results (not quick enough) | 39% |
| Inconsistency in gels | 31% |
| Shelf life is too short for gels | 24% |
| Dangers in handling toxic chemicals to make gels | 19% |
| Buffers heating up too much | 15% |
| Not enough control options in the electrophoresis system | 11% |
| Other | 7% |
| Electrophoresis components being used in our readers’ labs: | |
| Electrophoresis gel apparatus | 94% |
| Reagents: gel staining chemicals, premade gels, gel chemicals, buffers, etc. | 93% |
| General lab equipment: pH meter, pipettors, scale, stir plates, etc. | 87% |
| Power supply | 85% |
| Digital camera/gel documentation systems | 72% |
| White light/UV light box | 58% |
| Cooling apparatus | 18% |
| Other | 4% |
| Respondents are using or planning to use the following gel types: | |
| Acrylamide | 43% |
| Agarose | 40% |
| IEF | 5% |
| Cellulose acetate | 5% |
| Other | 8% |
Completed Surveys: 250
For more information on electrophoresis systems, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/electrophoresis
