Team:Montreal/DNA Agarose Gel

Gel Preparation
1. Measure 50mL of TAE buffer and mix with 0.5g of Agarose powder.

2. Thoroughly mix the two in the flask and microwave the mixture for roughly about 1 minute (or until you see bubbling).

3. Add 1.5µL of Ethidium Bromide (light sensitive) and swirl until a fine mixture is seen.

4. Pour the mixture onto the casting tray (make sure that each end is taped), with a comb inserted in one of the ends.

5. Wait for the gel to solidify over time. Optional: Loosely cover the gel with aluminum foil to reduce EtBr breakdown in light.

6. Once hardened, remove the comb and load the gel into the electrophoresis box.

7. Fill the reservoir with enough buffer to submerge the gel entirely.

Running the Gel
1. To a DNA sample (15&micro;L volume), add 2&microL of loading dye. The loading dye acts to increase specific gravity and visibility of the DNA samples.

2. Fill this entire volume (17&micro;L) into the wells in the agarose gel using a P20 micropipette. Record the order of samples and their respective wells.

3. Add between 2-5&microL of DNA ladder to one empty well. It is sometimes preferable to add ladder to the two wells relatively far apart, to help line up the ladder with DNA bands.

4. Apply a voltage of 100V across the gel for 45-60 minutes. Exceeding this voltage would excessively heat the gel and yield irregular DNA migration. Optional: Cover the reservoir with aluminum foil to reduce EtBr breakdown in light.

5. When finished, remove the gel from the reservoir and photograph under UV light to confirm the presence and size of the DNA bands.