Dry protein gels without cracking - (Mar/22/2011 )

Hi all,

I am fairly new to carrying out SDS-PAGE. I am a masters student using tricine sds page for my project. I want to dry the gels and keep them in my lab book.
Currently we soak the gel in 20% ethanol, 10% glycerol solution for 30min then place the gel between cellofane sheets.

Does anyone have another method/technique that won't cause cracks in the gels?? I know to get rid of the air bubbles etc, but my gels looked perfect under the cellofane, and then they cracked a day later. Any methods not requiring the purchase of expensive equipment??


Thanks

Sarah

There are some protocols out there.
Have you checked those yet?
I think you are not letting it rest, dry long enough.


http://www.geba.org/var/116/868-Crack%20Free%20solution%20Handbook.pdf
http://www.invitrogen.com/site/us/en/home/References/protocols/proteins-expression-isolation-and-analysis/protein-gel-electrophoresis/gel-drying.html


and check this old topic on this forum:
http://www.protocol-online.org/biology-forums/posts/40521.html

I never tried drying gel using only cellophane. I had frame like this:

I haven't paid a penny, they were made by my friend, cut (manually) from two pieces of acrylic glass.

K.B. on Tue Mar 22 14:01:21 2011 said:

Thanks for your replies!

I am getting better. No one in my lab told me that i needed to soak the cellofane haha
So that must have been a big part of the problem. And i forgot to mention i have the apparatus above

cheers

You didnt soak the cellophane? Uh? How did you dry it then? You just left it there to dry without doing anything? lol;)

pito on Fri Mar 25 19:25:33 2011 said:

Oh soaked the gel in drying solution for 30min, and put some drying solution on the cellophane...but didnt soak the cellofane per say...no one showed me haha