January 13, 2025

Biotium Unveils the Most Sensitive Stains for DNA or RNA with New EMBER™ Ultra Agarose Gel Kits

By: Kyrie Sismaet

New EMBER™ Ultra RNA and DNA Gel Kits provide the most sensitive nucleic acid gel staining available, with time-saving convenience.

FREMONT, CA, January, 13, 2025 — Biotium, a leading provider of innovative fluorescent reagents and kits for life science research, proudly announces the release of EMBER™ Ultra Gel Kits for RNA and DNA gel electrophoresis. Both kits use a novel gel system of EMBER™ Ultra Precoated Agarose with EMBER™ Loading Dye to achieve the highest sensitivity available for agarose gel-based detection and analysis.

EMBER™ Ultra Precoated Agarose is ultra-pure molecular biology-grade agarose with low electroendosmosis, precoated with Biotium’s fluorescent EMBER™ Ultra Loading Dye. In combination with EMBER™ DNA Loading Dye or EMBER™ Ultra RNA Loading Dye, this system supports RNA and DNA agarose gels between 1% and 5%, and does not require post-electrophoresis staining for fast and convenient results. Both the DNA and RNA systems are also suitable for downstream applications such as qPCR or sequencing.

For DNA analysis, the EMBER™ Ultra DNA Gel Kit offers the highest sensitivity and resolution among other agarose gel stains, detecting as little as ≤1 ng of single-stranded DNA and small DNA fragments. For RNA analysis, the EMBER™ Ultra RNA Gel Kit precisely detects as little as ≤5 ng RNA, and reduces hands-on preparation time by providing a formamide-containing loading dye to denature RNA samples. Both systems allow for imaging immediately after electrophoresis without requiring a post-electrophoresis staining for simplified workflows.

“EMBER Ultra gels combine excellent sensitivity and convenience, particularly for detecting RNA where EMBER Ultra allows ultrasensitive detection without sacrificing band resolution,” says Director of Bioscience, Lori Roberts.

EMBER™ Ultra Gel Kit Features:

Superior sensitivity and resolution over other nucleic acid gel stains
Easy-to-use pre-coated agarose format
No need for post-electrophoresis staining
EMBER™ Ultra RNA Gel Kit includes formamide in the loading dye
Optimal for blue LED gel imagers and compatible with UV imagers
Compatible with electrophoresis buffer of your choice

Comparison of EMBER™ Ultra RNA Gel (left) with 1% agarose gel post-stained with SYBR^® Gold. NEB ssRNA Ladder or total Jurkat cell RNA were denatured at 70°C for 10 minutes in EMBER™ Ultra RNA Loading Dye (for EMBER™ gel) or NEB RNA Loading Dye (for SYBR^® Gel) and run on 1% agarose/1X TBE gels. EMBER^® Ultra Gel was imaged immediately after electrophoresis, while the other gel was post-stained in 1X SYBR^® Gold/1X TBE for 30 minutes. Gels were imaged on Biotium’s Gel-Bright™ Laser Diode Gel Illuminator. The EMBER Ultra^® RNA Gel Kit offers comparable or superior sensitivity and resolution compared to SYBR^® Gold, without a time-consuming post-staining step.

Biotium also offers accessory products like 1X TAE or TBE Buffer Powder Packets to further streamline gel electrophoresis workflows. For best results, Biotium recommends imaging with the Gel-Bright™ Laser Diode Gel Illuminator or a blue light illuminator. These solutions underscore Biotium’s commitment to advancing research with innovative, high-quality tools designed to maximize lab efficiency and output. To learn more about the EMBER™ Ultra RNA and DNA Gel Kits, visit www.biotium.com. The systems and related products are now available for purchase directly from Biotium or through authorized distributors.