Pouring a Gel

Materials:

1. 2 Glass Plates

2. 2 Siliconized Back Plates

3. 4 Gray spacers

4. 1 casting tray

5. 2 gray things that hold everything together

6. 4 black holders

7. 2 combs

8. GLOVES

Procedure:

1. ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES WHEN DEALING WITH ACRYLAMIDE

2. Clean all the materials with alconox detergent, rinse well with dH2O and dry completely with a paper towel

3. Hold the silicon in one hand

4. With the other hand place the gray spacers on top of the silicon so that they line up on both side flush with the siliconized plate

5. Then pick up the piece of glass and place it on top of the spacers so that it is also flush with everything.

6. Take the entire thing and place into the gray holder so that the glass is facing the side with the screws

7. Allow about 1mm of the all three of the pieces to protrude from the bottom of the gray holder.

8. Make sure that all three pieces are completely flush with each other to ensure that no leaks will occur.

9. Place the gray holder with the glass/silicon screwed in tightly into the casting tray

10. Put the black holders into the holes on the casting tray and turn then so that the rubber compresses and the bottom of the gel becomes sealed in the casting tray

11. Mix the separating gel using the amounts on the sheet hanging by Chris’s desk

12. Using the plastic pipette pour the separating gel into the space between the glass and the silconized plate up to the edge of the gray holder

13. Mix the stacking gel using the amounts on the sheet hanging by Chris’s desk

14. Pour the stacking gel up to the edge of the top of the silicon plate.

15. Place the combs into the gel in between the glass and the siliconized plate.

16. Use any extra stacking gel to fill in any air bubbles or empty spaces in the comb.

17. Discard the separating gel immediately in the trash and rinse the glassware very well.

18. Hold onto the stacking gel and check on the gel periodically in case more spaces develop.

19. Allow the gel to polymerize

20. Once the gel has completely polymerized, loosen the black clamps so that the gray holder frees up, then loosen the screws that hold the gel in place

21. Set up two paper towels on the table next to you

Carefully remove the gel from the gray holder and place the gel on the paper towel. Wet the top paper towel and wrap around the gel. Do the same with the second paper towel and then wrap the whole thing in saran wrap and store in the cold room until use.