DNA Electrophoresis

A non denaturing agarose or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is a fast way to determine the size of DNA fragments and to quantify the DNA band. During electrophoresis the negatively charged DNA migrates towards the positively charged electrode, the longer the DNA fragment the slower it migrates within the gel, by this the DNA is separated according to size.

For successful electrophoresis it is important to have a high quality gel and to prepare the DNA sample for electrophoresis correctly.

The use of biotechrabbit 6X DNA Loading Dye  for preparation of DNA sample prior to loading ensures good sinking of the sample into the gel well and appropriate migration monitoring due to the presence of tracking dyes.

After electrophoresis the DNA is typically stained with intercalating dye what then allows for DNA visualization directly in the gel under UV light. 1-10 ng of DNA is the detection limit of the commonly used ethidium bromide, about 60 pg of DNA is the limit for detection with SYBR® Green I or similar dyes.

For DNA sizing and quantification the band of interest is compared with the bands of the DNA ladder loaded in the same run. The known size and quantity of the ladder bands allows determining the size and approximate quantity of target DNA. The higher the quality of the DNA ladder used, the more precise and accurate are the results of your electrophoresis. 

biotechrabbit DNA Ladder Selection Guide