Excellent Gel for Routine Protein Analysis

The Scripps Research Institute
Immunology Microbiology
Postdoctoral Researcher

Overall

Quality of Results

Ease-of-Optimization

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Questions/Comments

Company:

Bio-Rad

Product Name:

Criterion TGX Stain-Free™ 18-well protein gel

Catalog Number:

5678094

My research focuses on understanding the function of a bacterial cell wall hydrolase and its localization in Enterococcus using confocal microscopy. To achieve this, I constructed both N- and C-terminal HaloTag fusion proteins. Before imaging, I used western blotting to evaluate the expression and stability of the fusion proteins. The Criterion TGX Stain-Free™ 18-Well Protein Gel was ideal for these experiments, allowing me to load larger sample volumes, which was especially important because the C-terminal HaloTag fusion showed relatively low expression.

Experimental Design and Results Summary

Application

SDS-PAGE protein separation followed by western blot

Starting Material

exponentially-grown bacterial cell lysates

Tips

Avoid overloading in the wells. Also, the gel should be treated carefully as it is prone to breaking. Make sure the gel remains properly wet to maintain its integrity during handling.

Results Summary

The stain-free gel was highly convenient because it eliminated the need for additional Coomassie blue staining. The protein separation was excellent, and I was able to clearly visualize my protein bands directly on the gel before proceeding to western blot analysis. The strong visibility was likely due to good protein expression in my system, but the gel itself provided excellent resolution and allowed quick assessment of protein levels and sample quality.

DOI or PMID #

N/A

Image Gallery

Summary

The Good

Sharp separation and excellent consistency

The Bad

The gels are more expensive than standard gels

The Bottom Line

A dependable gel that saves time while producing high-quality protein separation.

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