Glo-Plate™ White Photoactivation Device

We have tested a variety of different light sources for the development of DNAzure® bands in an agarose gel. We have found that most light sources will work, but how long the development takes is dependent on the brightness of the light. The fastest band development is seen with our Gel-Bright™ and Glo-Plate™ Blue LED illuminators. We have also seen good results with other bright, white LED lights. Other light sources that work but take more time include an LED desk lamp and a cell phone light. We found that a 600W halogen lamp did not work well- it was too hot, which melted the gel.

For optimal staining, we recommend diluting the 100X DNAzure® stock to 1X working solution fresh each time. However, if a 1X solution stored at 4°C and protected from light, the gel stain should to be good up to two weeks.

Yes, the 1X DNAzure® staining solution can be re-used for multiple gels, under certain conditions. Importantly, the staining solution must be removed from the gel before the gel is exposed to light to develop the bands. If the staining solution undergoes the light exposure, it will not be able to stain another gel. The used staining solution should be stored in the refrigerator, protected from light, between uses. We have successfully re-used the staining solution stored for up to 2 weeks, and used up to 4 times with little loss of signal (after 5 or 6 uses, the sensitivity was noticeably lower).