Invitrogen™ E-Gel™ EX Double Comb Agarose Gels

Catalog No.	Quantity	Separation Range	Gel Percentage
A44887	2 x 10 Gels	100 to 5000 bp	1%
A42345	10 Gels	100 to 5000 bp	1%
A44888	5 x 10 Gels	100 to 5000 bp	1%
A42346	10 Gels	50 to 2000 bp	2%
A44889	2 x 10 Gels	50 to 2000 bp	2%
A44890	5 x 10 Gels	50 to 2000 bp	2%

Catalog No. A44887 Supplier Invitrogen™ Supplier No. A44887

Description

Invitrogen E-Gel EX Double Comb precast agarose gels are designed for ultrasensitive and convenient DNA sample electrophoresis in as little as 5 to 8 minutes.

Invitrogen E-Gel EX Double Comb precast agarose gels are designed for ultrasensitive and convenient DNA sample electrophoresis in as little as 5–8 minutes. Each E-Gel EX Double Comb gel cassette contains all components and stain required for efficient gel separation and analysis—just load your samples and run. E-Gel EX Double Comb gels are ideal for analyzing PCR products, restriction digests, plasmid preparations, and genotyping samples.

Features of E-Gel EX Double Comb Agarose Gels include:

• Instantaneous setup—precast E-Gel agarose gels are ready for use when you are, and do not require gel preparation or additional buffers
• High sensitivity—detect 1 ng of sample DNA
• Rapid analysis—complete DNA sample separation in 5–8 minutes
• In-process control—view DNA sample migration in real time
• Easy sample access—openable cassette design allows easy in-gel access for convenient DNA sample excision or transfer to membranes
• For DNA—ideal for DNA sample analysis

Ultra-sensitive detection of DNA

E-Gel EX Double Comb gels include SYBR Gold DNA stain and were developed for ultimate sensitivity, demonstrating up to five-fold greater sensitivity than comparable gels containing ethidium bromide. This superior sensitivity allows you to use lower amounts of sample, saving time and money.

Fast and convenient analysis

E-Gel EX Double Comb gels are our fastest-resolving agarose gels, enabling sample analysis in as little as 5-8 minutes. Each E-Gel EX Double Comb gel contains agarose, electrodes, SYBR Gold DNA stain, and a bufferless ion exchange system packaged inside a dry disposable cassette. E-Gel technology does not required any gel or buffer preparation or gel staining steps. Just load your samples and run.

Live monitoring of DNA migration

E-Gel EX Double Comb gels include SYBR Gold II DNA gel stain with an excitation wavelength in the blue-light spectrum. When used on the E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis Device with integrated blue-light trans-illuminator, less-hazardous real-time monitoring of DNA migration is enabled without risk to eyes or possible damage of the sample, unlike UV illumination.

Easy access to the gel

E-Gel EX Double Comb cassettes are designed for convenient opening with a Gel Knife (Cat. No. EI9010), for easy excision of specific bands or transfer of the gel to a membrane for southern blot analysis.

Running and imaging devices

E-Gel EX Double Comb gels require the Invitrogen E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis System for gel running and viewing. The system consists of an electrophoresis device and a camera for fast and convenient E-Gel EX Double Comb gel separation and analysis.

Available in a variety of gel formats

E-Gel agarose gels are available in variety of gel percentage, stain, and well formats. The 22-well E-Gel EX Double Comb gels are available in 1% and 2% gel percentages.

Specifications

• Compatible Ladders: E-Gel™ 1 Kb Plus Express Ladder
• Content And Storage: • Each box contains 10 gels
  
  Store strictly at room temperature. Do not freeze.
  Avoid cold spots near freezers or other uncontrolled environments.
  
• Gel Percentage: 1%
• Gel Type: E-Gel
• Label or Dye: SYBR Gold
• Separation Range: 100 to 5000 bp
• Wells: 22-well
• Quantity: 2 x 10 Gels
• Well Design: Double Comb
• Product Type: Agarose Gel

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I am not seeing any current when I try to run my E-Gel EX agarose gels. Why is this?

Here are some common reasons why your gel is not running properly:

- Copper contacts in the base are damaged due to improper use. Make sure the copper contacts in the base are intact.
- An expired or defective gel cassette was used.
- The E-Gel EX cassette was not inserted properly into a base.
- An incorrect adaptor was used.

My E-Gel agarose gel has speckles when viewed in the imager. What should I do?

Here are some suggestions:

- Try cleaning the cassettes with alcohol and Kimwipes wipers.
- Try cleaning the camera lens.
- Try to adjust the exposure time and brightness options of the documentation system you are using.

My sample is leaking from the wells when running my E-Gel agarose gels. What happened?

Please ensure that you have not overloaded the well and that the wells were not damaged during comb removal.

I accidentally stored my E-Gel agarose gels at 4 degrees C instead of room temperature. Can I still use them?

While we recommend storage at room temperature, these gels will still be usable. Bring the gels to room temperature prior to the run for optimal conditions.

What loading buffer should I use for my E-Gel agarose gels?

Loading buffer is optional. Samples can be loaded directly into the wells if no buffer is used, or you can dilute them with deionized water or TE buffer. If you want to use a loading buffer, please see the recipes below:

E-Gel agarose gels (including EX)
10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5
1 mM EDTA
0.005% bromophenol blue
0.005% xylene cyanol FF
E-Gel CloneWell II and E-Gel SizeSelect II agarose gels
10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5
1 mM EDTA

Alternatively, you can use 10X BlueJuice Gel Loading Buffer or TrackIt Loading Buffer. Dilute this buffer 50- to 200-fold to obtain optimal results with E-Gel agarose gels.

How do I acquire and analyze data for my E-Gel agarose gels?

We offer our E-Editor Software, which can help you align images after a gel run. The E-Editor 2.0 Software is only available for PCs, but the older E-Gel 96 Editor software is still available for the Mac operating system and can align images from E-Gel 96 and E-PAGE 96 agarose gels. However, the original software is not compatible with E-Gel 48 or E-PAGE 48 agarose gels. Please go to www.thermofisher.com and enter "E-Editor software" in the main search to download the E-Editor Software. You can use the E-Gel Imager System for data analysis.

What are some of the important differences between the low-throughput and high-throughput E-Gel agarose gel systems?

p>High-throughput E-Gel agarose gels have staggered wells, and are based on a neutral-pH internal buffer system as opposed to an ion exchange matrix. High-throughput E-Gel agarose gels cannot be opened, and should be run on the E-Gel E-Base system.

I do not have enough samples to fill all wells in my E-Gel agarose gel. Can I leave some wells empty?

If you do not have enough samples to use all the wells, fill each empty well with the same volume of water as the loaded samples. For E-Gel CloneWell II agarose gels and E-Gel SizeSelect II agarose gels, it is important to add the water according to the respective manual.

Do you have a protocol for RNA electrophoresis on your E-Gel agarose gels?

Our E-Gel agarose gels can be used for either DNA or RNA separation. RNA separation occurs under non-denaturing or denaturing conditions. Please note, our gels are not QC tested for the presence of RNases. See our suggestions below for running your non-denaturing or denaturing samples:

Non-denaturing conditions
1. Mix RNA sample with 15 µL of RNase-free water.
2. Do not heat. Load the entire sample onto the E-Gel agarose gel.
3. Electrophorese for 30 min.

Denaturing conditions
1. Mix 15 µL of RNA loading buffer with 1-5 µL of RNA (1-5 µg).
2. Heat samples at 65 degrees C for 10 min to denature RNA.
3. Place samples on ice immediately after heating.
4. Load entire sample onto E-Gel agarose gel.
5. Electrophorese for 30 min.

Note:
- The only denaturing agent that is compatible with the E-Gel system is formamide, 50-95%. Heating the sample for 5 min at 65 degrees C should be sufficient for denaturing. Using other denaturing agents like glyoxal, formaldehyde, or urea will result in very poor separation and band morphology on E-Gel agarose gels.
- Additionally, we do not recommend running samples with RNA loading buffer on the same gel as samples loaded with water.
- E-Gel EX Double Comb agarose gels and E-Gel Double Comb agarose gels with SYBR Safe stain have not been tested for use in RNA applications.

What is the special feature of E-Gel EX agarose gels?

E-Gel EX agarose gels separate DNA faster, offer enhanced sensitivity, and provide added flexibility. The stain within the EX gels is proprietary (not based on SYBR technology), though it has the same spectral properties as SYBR stains. The E-Gel EX gels have a sensitivity that is 5X greater than gels using ethidium bromide.

I would like to take the gel out of the E-Gel agarose gel cassette. How can I do this?

We recommend using the E-Gel Opener (Cat. No. G530001) for the SYBR and ethidium bromide E-Gel agarose gels. The E-Gel EX agarose gels, E-Gel SizeSelect agarose gels, and E-Gel GO! agarose gels can be opened with the Gel Knife (Cat. No. EI9010). We do not recommend opening the E-Gel 48 agarose gels or the E-Gel 96 agarose gels.

What makes E-Gel agarose gels bufferless?

To create a bufferless system, each E-Gel cassette contains two unique ion exchange matrices that lie between the running gel and the electrodes. The ion exchange matrices provide a buffer-ion reservoir that supplies a continuous flow of Tris, acetate, and dye ions throughout the gel. This patented technology results in a sustained electric field with enhanced buffering capacity. E-Gel gels thus eliminate the need for you to prepare and dispose of liquid buffer, thus saving time and waste.

What buffer should I use for my E-Gel agarose gel electrophoresis experiments?

The E-Gel agarose gel system is a precast bufferless TAE system that uses ion exchange matrices. The gels themselves are enclosed within a semi-UV-transparent cassette. This patented technology results in a sustained electric field with enhanced buffering capacity. E-Gel gels thus eliminate the need for you to prepare and dispose of liquid buffer, thus saving time and waste.

Do I need to pre-run my E-Gel agarose gels?

Pre-run is no longer necessary for any of our E-Gel agarose gels.

Can E-Gel agarose gels be used with RNA samples?

E-Gel agarose gels are routinely used in-house in R&D and manufacturing for RNA analysis with excellent results. However, the gels are not guaranteed to be “RNAse-free”. The manufacturing process is designed to avoid contamination of any type, but not RNAses specifically.

If you do want to try it, any loading buffer that would be used for non-denaturing RNA electrophoresis should be fine for E-Gel agarose gels. Depending on your application, these gels may or may not be suitable for use.

Can I run E-Gel agarose gels longer than recommended

Do not run E-Gel agarose gels longer than 40 min for the single comb gels or longer than 20 min for the double comb gels as longer run times will cause ions to get depleted and will damage the gel. Do not run E-Gel 48 agarose gels longer than 30 min or E-Gel 96 agarose gels longer than 20 min.

What is the shelf-life of an E-Gel agarose gel?

All E-Gel gels are labeled with expiration dates.

My E-Gel agarose gel is not running evenly. I am getting poor resolution or smearing of bands. What might be the problem?

Potential problems include:
- Loading too much DNA. Do not load more than the recommended amount.

- Samples with a high salt concentration. Samples containing > 50 mM NaCl, 100 mM KCl, 10 mM acetate ions, or 10 mM EDTA will cause loss of resolution.

- Samples may have been diluted in TAE instead of TE or water.

- Samples may have been pre-run; pre-running is not recommended for any of our E-Gel agarose gels.

- Sample was not properly loaded or had a very low volume of sample loaded. Load the recommended sample volume based on the gel type and loading method. For proper band separation, we recommend keeping sample volumes uniform.

- Bubbles may have been introduced while loading the samples. Bubbles will cause band distortion. Load deionized water or TE into any empty wells, and avoid introducing bubbles.

- A longer electrophoresis run time was used. Do not run the gel longer than the recommended time for each gel type. Longer run times cause an increase in the current, resulting in poor band migration or a melted gel. We recommend that you run single comb gels for 25-30 min (double comb gels 15-20 min) for straighter patterns. Do not run single comb gels longer than 40 minutes (20 minutes for double comb), or the gel will be damaged and resolution will be poor.

- Voltage or current too high. This should not be an issue with the E-Gel PowerBase power supply, which is pre-set with the proper conditions. However, researchers using the old E-Gel Base (the one that plugged into a separate power supply) should ensure that they run the gel at 60 to 70 volts (constant voltage) or 40-50 mA (constant current). Do not allow the current to exceed 60 mA.

- For E-Gel 96 Agarose Gels being run on an E-Base device, be sure you are running on the “EG” program rather than the “EP” program designed for E-PAGE gels.

- The gel was not electrophoresed immediately after sample loading (for best results, run gel within 1 min of loading).

- The gel may have been used beyond its expiration date. Check the expiration date.

What grade of agarose is used in the E-Gel agarose gels?

The agarose used in the 0.8%, 1.2% and 2% E-Gel agarose gels is molecular biology grade, with a normal melting point and less than 0.25% ash content. For the 4% E-Gel agarose gels, we use a special high-resolution agarose.

What buffer is used in the E-Gel agarose gel system?

The E-Gel agarose gel system uses TAE buffer.

Can I use the E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis Device (Cat. No. G8100) to image my own pour-your-own gels?

We do not recommend using the E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis Device to image pour-your-own gels.

Can I use the E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis Device (Cat. No. G8100) to run my own pour-your-own gels?

We do not recommend using the E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis Device to run pour-your-own gels.

Is E-Gel software compatible with Windows 10?

Yes, both the E-Gel GelCapture Acquisition Software and E-Gel GelQuant Express Analysis Software applications are compatible with Windows 10; however, the E-Gel GelQuant Express Analysis Software will require the purchase of an E-Gel Imager Quantitation USB dongle (Cat. No. 4466610):
https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/4466610

Please visit the following link (https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/dna-rna-purification-analysis/nucleic-acid-gel-electrophoresis/e-gel-electrophoresis-system/e-gel-imager-system/e-gel-software.html) and follow the instructions to download the software.
Note: Please make sure that you download the correct version of the E-Gel GelCapture Software based on the serial number of your instrument.

How can I adjust the voltage on the E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis Device?

Each program on the E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis Device is optimized to obtain the best possible results. The device does not offer user-adjustable voltage functionality.

I have an E-Gel Simple Runner Electrophoresis Device in my lab, are the new 11-well and 22-well E-Gel agarose gels compatible with it?

Due to the differences in dimensions, the new E-Gel 11-well and 22-well agarose gel formats are not compatible with the E-Gel Simple Runner Electrophoresis Device.

Can I image double comb E-Gel agarose gels under UV light?

Yes, however both SYBR Safe and SYBR Gold DNA stains are optimized for imaging under blue light, for peak performance.

Can I run double comb E-Gel agarose gels on an iBase device?

Yes, you can run Double Comb E-Gel agarose gels on an iBase device.

Can I use the double comb E-Gel agarose gels to identify and purify my cloning fragment?

Yes, the E-Gel EX Double Comb agarose gels and E-Gel Double Comb agarose gels with SYBR Safe stain are openable and compatible with downstream cloning applications.

Which DNA ladders do you recommend using with E-Gel EX agarose gels and E-Gel agarose gels with SYBR Safe stain?

To select the DNA ladder that yields the best resolution for your specific E-Gel, please refer to the table on page 45 of the E-Gel Power Snap Electrophoresis System user guide (https://assets.thermofisher.com/TFS-Assets/LSG/manuals/MAN0017050_egel_powersnapsystem_UG.pdf).

Can I use double comb E-Gel EX agarose gels or E-Gel agarose gels with SYBR Safe stain for RNA analysis?

E-Gel EX Double Comb agarose gels and E-Gel Double Comb agarose gels with SYBR Safe stain have not been tested for use in RNA applications. We recommend using E-Gel EX Single Comb agarose gels with 11 wells for RNA analysis.

I can't see any of my bands on my E-Gel agarose gel when I turn on the blue light. What should I do?

Follow recommended DNA dilutions and leave the gel to cool down on the bench or for a few minutes in the fridge. Please check troubleshooting tips provided in the manual.

Can I dispose of E-Gel EX agarose gels the same way as E-Gel agarose gels with SYBR Safe DNA Gel Stain?

No. Standard safety and hazardous waste disposal procedures should be followed when handling E-Gel EX agarose gels.

What is the difference between E-Gel agarose gels with SYBR Safe DNA Gel Stain and E-Gel EX agarose gels?

E-Gel EX agarose gels separate DNA faster, offer enhanced sensitivity, and provide added flexibility. The stain within the E-Gel EX agarose gels is SYBR Gold II which has similar spectral properties but increased sensitivity compared to SYBR Safe DNA Gel Stain. E-Gel EX agarose gels are especially suited for applications where high sensitivity is critical.

Can I run E-Gel agarose gels more than once?

No. E-Gel agarose gels have enough buffering capacity for one run only. Performance will be impaired with multiple runs.

Safety and Handling

WARNING: Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.