Tips for loading agarose gels

Tips for loading agarose gels: - make sure the gel is completely submerged in the running buffer - prepare the samples on Parafilm - start by making drops of loading buffer - add your samples to the loading buffer and mix (without bubbling) - suck up (aspirate) your sample, being careful not to draw up air (which will cause your sample to “pop” out of the well) - scout out the wells - stick a piece of tape on the cassette or gel box to help you locate them - make sure you are inside the well before dispensing - but make sure not to stab the well or the barriers between them - dispense the sample slowly - stabilize your hand by putting your elbow on the bench and/or grabbing your wrist with your other hand - keep your thumb depressed until you’re all the way out to prevent sample from getting sucked back up - to get all the sample out, you have to go to the full stop of the pipet - this blowout step has a tendency to blow out a bubble, which can cause a bit of sample to pop out - if you are really worried about sample lanes contaminating one another, don’t push all the sample out - remember practice makes perfect! and remember to run to red! (set up gel so that the samples are on the black end of the box) more about agarose gel electrophoresis: http://bit.ly/agarosegelelectrophoresis & https://bit.ly/agarosegelcompare & https://youtu.be/vbuxf3rcMxg more about parafilm: https://youtu.be/ZOn3nptS5Y8 more pipetting tips: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWsCDtjESrHnlmO2z2GJZRADaIFSNqt8   more practical lab tips & tricks: https://bit.ly/lab_tricks_page & https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWsCDtjESrFEAWZCRKJL7sMc6a_KgfLU            more about all sorts of things: #365DaysOfScience All (with topics listed) 👉 http://bit.ly/2OllAB0 or search blog: http://thebumblingbiochemist.com