E using bio-rad’s stain-free technology, Appendix e, Using bio-rad’s stain-free technology – Bio-Rad Image Lab™ Software User Manual
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User Guide
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E
Using Bio-Rad’s
Stain-Free Technology
Bio-Rad’s stain-free gels eliminate the time-consuming staining and destaining
steps required by other protein detection methods. Stain-free gels include
unique trihalo compounds that allow rapid fluorescent detection of proteins with
the Gel Doc™ XR+ and ChemiDoc™ XRS+ imagers without staining.
When using Image Lab™ software version 5.1 or higher, the Gel Doc XR+ and
ChemiDoc XRS+ imagers are stain-free enabled to image these gels:
Criterion™ TGX Stain-Free™ precast gels
Criterion Stain Free™ precast gels
Mini-PROTEAN
®
TGX Stain-Free™ precast gels
TGX Stain-Free™ FastCast™ acrylamide solutions for handcast gels
When trihalo compounds in the gels encounter tryptophan residues, a UV
light–induced reaction produces fluorescence, which can be easily detected by
the Gel Doc XR+ and ChemiDoc XRS+ imagers within gels or on low
fluorescence polyvinyl difluoride (PVDF) membranes. Activation of the trihalo
compounds in the gels adds 58 Da moieties to available tryptophan residues and
is required for protein visualization. Proteins that do not contain tryptophan
residues cannot be detected using this technology. The sensitivity of stain-free
gels is comparable to staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue for proteins with a
tryptophan content >1.5%; sensitivity superior to Coomassie staining is possible
for proteins with a tryptophan content >3%.