Bio-Rad PROTEAN II XL Cell - Manual (Page 25)

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Section 7
Running the Gel
1. Place the lid on top of the lower buffer chamber to enclose the PROTEAN ® II xi cell fully. Note that the lid
can be placed only in one orientation, so that the anode and cathode connections cannot be reversed.
2. Attach the electrical leads to a suitable power supply, such as those in Section 13.6, with the proper
polarity (this connection could accidently be reversed).
3. Apply power to the PROTEAN II xi cell and begin electrophoresis. As a safety precaution, always set volt-
age, current, and power limits when possible. See the Appendix (Section 14.4) for specific running con-
ditions.
Section 8
Set-up Options
8.1 Buffer Recirculation
Buffer recirculation is sometimes necessary for extended electrophoretic runs or for use with certain weak
buffer systems.
To recirculate electrode buffer from the lower to the upper chambers, a few simple modifications have to be
made to the PROTEAN II xi cell.
1. Locate the recirculation port tabs on the lid of the cell. The tab directly above the upper buffer chamber
and one of the tabs directly above the lower buffer chamber must be removed. Remove by grasping with
a pair of pliers and twisting the tab until it breaks off (see photo).
2. Locate the punch out tab in the upper right corner on both sides of the central cooling core.
Carefully bore one of the thin membrane tabs with a drill and 1/4 in (6 mm) bit.
3. Insert a section of tubing down through the port above the lower buffer chamber and to the bottom of
the lower buffer chamber.
4. Run this tubing through a peristaltic pump and into the upper buffer chamber through its port.