Gel Protocols

The core lab has documents illustrating gels stained with all of the stains described in this document. Please come a look if you have questions about the technical performance of your staining protocol and the impact that it has on successful collection of mass spectrometry data.

A significant challenge in mass spec enabled protein ID is contamination. Keratin is a ubiquitous contaminant that can either be a minor irritant or a major impediment to successfully completing your experiment. These tips will improve your chances of success!

• Analytical grade reagents and MilliQ water should always be used.
• Wear a lab coat and nitrile gloves at all times when handling your samples. After putting on gloves, rinse them under a stream of clean water before handling gels.
• Store gels in meticulously clean, covered plastic containers. Use opaque containers for fluorescent stains or wrap with foil. If you wash gel storage and staining containers with detergent, a thorough rinse with methanol is recommended.
• We strongly recommend the use of pre-cast gels and reagents. We have had excellent success with Bio-Rad Criterion and Ready gels (Standard or XT chemistry).
• Do not re-use reagents at any time.