Methylen Blue DNA-staining solution 10 mL

Non-toxic Nucleic Acid stain for agarose gels. 200-times concentrated. Can be re-used several times. Sensitivity: Down to 10ng DNA per band.

Approx. 50mL 1X DNA-Dye Methylene blue staining solution are required to stain an agarose gel with the dimensions of approx. 80 x 60mm (width x length) and a thickness of 3 - 4mm. The gel should be trimmed down appropriately, with the edge of a ruler for example, to remove areas of the gel that were not used for DNA separation. The staining is performed in an adequately sized dish, in which the gel is floated to a depth of about 5mm with dye solution. To prepare the DNA-Dye Methylene blue staining solution for use, 250µL are dissolved in 50mL water. The gel is left to stain for about 20 minutes and the dish is shaken occasionally. To reveal the bands (different staining intensities) the gel is destained with tap water several times for about 5 - 10 minutes. The blue-stained DNA bands are clearly visible in transmitted light and can be measured with a ruler or documented photographically. Depending on the thickness of the gel and the storage temperature, the DNA bands (especially smaller fragments) may lose their staining after some time. Repeated use of die 1X staining solution: The prepared 1X methylene blue staining solution can be kept in a suitable brown-glass bottle at 2-8°C for 4 - 6 months and can be used several times. The staining period should be lengthened by about 20% for the second use, and by the same again for the third use. After this, the staining capacity of the solution is largely exhausted and a new solution for use should be prepared. The bands in a 1kb ladder (loading amount 1?g; mass of the single bands variy from 10 to 200ng) can be stained without problems. Small fragments (150bp) can also be stained. The decisive factors in sensitivity are the thickness of the gel, the gel:staining solution ratio, and the destaining time. By varying the staining conditions, you can easily determine the best conditions for your system.