SDS-PAGE resolving gel not completely set - (Aug/12/2013 )

My 10% resolving gel seemed to be ~80% set (gel recipe: 30% 29:1 acrylamide-bis, 1.5M Tris-HCl pH8.8, 10% SDS, 10% APS and 12ul TEMED).

The reason I say 80% set is because when I tried to dry off the H2O which I use as a polymerisation density indicator ontop of the polyacrylamide mix, the top bits seems to stick to my paper towel/  However the gel is no longer runny as when I first poured it.

When I poured the 5% stacking gel, it set perfectly.  I used the same stocks for both resolving and stacking gels just that the stacking gel has 0.5M Tris-HCl pH 6.8 instead of 1.5M Tris-HCl pH8.8. Could the Tris be the problem??

Gels do tend to stick to paper, so this is not normally an indicator of polymerization.  The interface may not set properly because of oxygen at the interface (e.g. from oxygenated water or not de-gassing the gel solution).

The resolving gel won't work well with pH 6.8 tris as this alters how the proteins run.

bob1 on Tue Aug 13 22:19:53 2013 said:

Gels do tend to stick to paper, so this is not normally an indicator of polymerization.  The interface may not set properly because of oxygen at the interface (e.g. from oxygenated water or not de-gassing the gel solution).

 

The resolving gel won't work well with pH 6.8 tris as this alters how the proteins run.

I use MilliQ water but it is really weird as the stacking gel set perfectly with all the same reagent mix (except for the Tris) as the failed resolving gel.  So I can be sure that it isn't a water problem.  Maybe a pH problem for the Tris? 

to polymerize stacking gel, a higher percentage of aps and temed are used. this may mask the fact that one (or both) of these components may be decomposing.

you can try using a different lot of aps and/or temed.

(temed turns yellow as it decomposes).

This is normal.  I always avoid touching the separation gel with paper when trying to get the water off.  Rather, I use the vacuum aspirator with a thin tip to get as much water off as I can and then fold a kimwipe and run it between the glass plates to dry them.  It seems to work well enough.  The stacking gel will stick to paper and in fact, this is how I remove it when preparing the gel for transfer (put a piece of whatman paper across the stacking and then gently pull the gel off).  To test for polymerization, I leave a small amount in the tube and set it aside.  Even better yet, if I plan ahead, I let them polymerize overnight in the cold room.