Running trays cracking - (Feb/03/2010 )

Hi, our electrophoresis running trays are all cracking and degrading. They're all different ages but this has suddenly begun to happpen. We do have a new grad student who is running his gels at a much higher voltage than we usually do. Is there a maximum voltage that these trays are supposed to be run at? If I knew exactly what was causing it, we could lay down some rules, but I can't make people change their protocols if I'm not sure they're causing the problem. Thanks!

In my experience most cracking occurs when you pour agarose that is too hot. I doubt that you can run a gel at high enough voltage that it would cause any cracking. My rule of thumb is not to pour a gel unless the solution has cooled down enough that it is almost bearable to the touch.

i agree, we experienced the same ...

let the flask ( whatever u prepare ur gel in ) cool up by washing it with tap water,
along with keeping it shaking not to let the gel adhere to the inner surface of the flask ...

We also used to keep 1% and 2% agarose pre-made in flasks in the 40C oven (or was it 60C?) in a lab I used to work in. We'd remove the flask with gloves to let it cool for a bit and prep the gel box, tape, etc. while waiting for it to cool. We would never pour gels until you could by hand or with a single paper towel around the top.

Hi,

I did the same as Eve did which is keeping my agarose gel in the oven at 60C. And I never experience any crack in running trays even I am running the gel at the highest voltage setting that I can go. And I am running mostly 2 to 3% gel.