Bioanalytical
Gel electrophoresis system
A tank with buffer and electrodes, a gel and a DC power supply. Charged molecules such as proteins or DNA move through the gel in the electric field and separate by size, then are stained and imaged.
- Biotechnology
- Biopharmaceutical
- Academic research
- Diagnostics development
- Food (protein profiling)
- Vaccines
TROUBLESHOOTING
Common problems, causes and fixes
No current or the power supply shows an error
Likely causes
- • Lid or leads not connected
- • Buffer level too low or wrong buffer
- • Broken electrode wire
What to do
- • Check connections and the lid
- • Add correct buffer to the marked level
- • Inspect and repair or replace the electrode
Bands 'smile' (curve upwards at the edges)
Likely causes
- • Gel overheating
- • Voltage too high
What to do
- • Lower the voltage or run with cooling
- • Use fresh buffer at the right strength
Smeared or streaked bands
Likely causes
- • Sample overloaded or contains salt/particles
- • Protein not fully denatured
- • Degraded DNA
What to do
- • Reduce load, desalt or centrifuge samples
- • Check heating and reducing agent
- • Use fresh sample and nuclease-free handling
Run is much slower or faster than usual
Likely causes
- • Wrong buffer concentration
- • Power supply output drift
- • Gel percentage wrong
What to do
- • Prepare buffer again and check conductivity
- • Verify power supply output with a calibrated meter
- • Check gel lot and percentage
Faint bands or high background
Likely causes
- • Too little sample
- • Old or weak stain
- • Insufficient destaining
What to do
- • Increase load within the method range
- • Prepare fresh stain
- • Extend destaining or use a more sensitive stain
Distorted or wavy bands
Likely causes
- • Uneven gel polymerisation
- • Air bubbles or debris in wells
What to do
- • Use precast gels or improve casting
- • Rinse wells before loading
In LimsPulse · Calibration Management
Keep every Gel electrophoresis in control: usage logs, calibration and maintenance schedules, and automatic blocking of overdue instruments.