Gel+Electrophoresis+by+James+Harukewicz

Gel Electrophoresis __**Gel Electrophoresis:**__ A process used to seperate DNA molecules of differing sizes, by moving them through a gel block of agarose or polyacrylamide through the means of an electric field.

__**Process:**__ First, one must make the gel from a buffer solution, and an agarose powder. Then put the mixture into a microwave to make the mixture into a Jell-O material. After that, the gel is poured into the mold, and the gel comb is used to make the indentations where the DNA will be placed. Wait for about thirty minutes for the gel to harden. Once hardened, remove the comb and set up the electrophoresis box. To start that, one pours the buffer solution into the box, and then place the gel into the box (before you place the gel into the box, be sure to remove the mold from the gel). Then with a micropipetter (and a clean tip) put some loading buffer into the DNA sample of interest. Then use the pipetter to transfer the DNA into the gel. Using a different tip tranfer the DNA size standard (or DNA you already know the size of) into the gel, but a different well. Once this is done attach a power source to the box (be sure to attach the ngative current to the side of the box with the wells). To see if the current is running, check for bubbles comming off of the electrodes at both ends of the box. Since the DNA is negatively charged, it will travel along the electric current to get to the positively charged side of the gel. Then when the DNA has migrated from the starting point, take the gel out of the box and place it into a box of blue dye to see the DNA. It takes about thirty minutes for the gel to become stained. After it is stained, you can put the gel under UV light to see the DNA. Finally you compare the DNA. The farther it goes along the gel the smaller the DNA segment is. A Flask (to carry the gel into the microwave) A gel mold (to mold the gel into the correct shape) A gel comb (to make holes in the gel to place the DNA) Buffer ( A salt water solution that will allow an electric current flow through the gel) A microwave (to make the gel into a Jell-O like state) An Electrophoresis box (a box designed for the electro current to go through the gel, with buffer inside it) A Micropipette (for loading DNA, Loading Buffer, and DNA size standard into the gel) Loading Buffer (Contains a dye, makes DNA sample visible and thicker) DNA sample (DNA that is being evaluated) DNA Size Standard ( Pieces of DNA that are at lengths that are already known) Pipette tips (For clean transfers between the gel and the samples) #|Power Supply (to provide the electric current) DNA Staining Solution ("ethidium bromide" is used to bind to the DNA and allows it to show up under #|fluorescent light) UV light box or light (allows the results to be shown)
 * __Materials:__** Agarose(the gell material)


 * __Purpose:__** The purpose of this method is to seperate DNA molecules of different sizes, this also could be done with proteins.

To learn more about [|Gel Electrophoresis], here is an online activity to show the basics of this lab.

__**Video and pictures:**__ media type="youtube" key="QEG8dz7cbnY" width="382" height="315" Works Cited