Electrophoresis system for multiple agarose slab gels

Abstract

The disclosure describes a horizontal slab gel electrophoresis apparatus. The latter consists of two spaced apart vessels which are each adapted to contain a running buffer. Each vessel is provided with an electrode for connection to a suitable power supply. At least one horizontal plate to contain a slab gel is disposed in bridging fashion over the first and second spaced apart vessels. Capillary contact should be established between one end of the slab gel and the running buffer which is present in the first vessel and also between the other end of the slab gel and the running buffer which is present in the second vessel. The method involves using this apparatus by adding a solution of a mixture of molecules of mixed molecular weights, such as DNA to wells formed in a horizontal slab gel after which the gel is treated by electrophoresis to produce localized bands each being characteristic of a specific molecular weight. This invention has the great advantage of enabling the electrophoresis to be carried out with a plurality of horizontal agarose slab gels while using only one power supply.