Storage of 30% bis/acrylamide and SDS-PAGE gels - (Nov/23/2004 )

Hi,

How long can one store 30% bis/acrylamide mixture in the fridge? And do I need to store it in the dark?

Also, how long can I keep SDS-PAGE gels in the fridge before I load and run them?

Thanks.

only a few days, at dark and with humidity

The 30% bis/acrylamide mix can be stored for quite a long time (6 months without a problem), in the fridge, as long as you protect it from light... wrap your bottle in aluminium paper.
For a gel, I'd suggest not to prepare it more than one day prior to running samples. The best is to prepare it fresh. Still, if you want to cast it the day before, you put it in the "running box", with buffer, and soaked paper over it, every thing wraped in saranwrap, so every thing stay moist...
Hope I could help!!

Simon

Thanks Simon and Serglom for answering my questions. Really appreciate it.


Jessica

for good resolution on your PAGE, you should cast the staking gel fresh. This way you get the best shift in pH from the staking to the resolving gel, and that's the critical factor for getting really good sharp bands.
You can easily cast your resolving gels and keep them in the fridge, as long as you keep the gels moist so they don't evaporate as suggested, and it’s not a problem to keep them for a week or so.

good luck.

Hi,

I do store acrylamide 30% at the fridge in a bottle protected from light (brown biorad bottles) and I have stored acrylamide several months like that!

Concerning acrylamide gels, I prepare them (12% gels for separating gel and 4% for stacking gel) the day before and store them after polymerization, at 4°C, with a parafilm on the top of the assembly system without removing combs.

Good luck
Sandrine

Thanks Sandrine and Spraq for the info.

Jessica