Thermo Scientific GelCode Blue Stain Reagent is a ready-to-use protein stain based on colloidal coomassie dye G-250 that provides nanogram-level detection and excellent clarity for polyacrylamide gels.
GelCode Blue Stain Reagent uses the colloidal properties of coomassie G-250 dye for polyacrylamide gel protein staining. This unique reagent stains only protein and, unlike traditional coomassie stains based on the R-250 form of the dye, allows bands to be viewed directly on the gel during the staining process. After staining, an optional water-wash step further enhances staining sensitivity and yields a clear background. With GelCode Blue Stain there is no need for multistep destaining procedures typically associated with other gel staining systems.
Highlights:
- No methanol-acetic acid destaining required – saves time, reduces reagent costs and minimizes solvent disposal
- Fast, one-step, one-hour staining – ready-to-use stain reagent; band development is visible directly in the staining tray; no background from overnight staining; flexible fixing and washing protocol; no gel shrinkage; stained gel can be dried
- More sensitive than standard coomassie gel stains – some protein bands visible to 8ng; wide linear range for densitometric analysis (ref 1); allows gel staining after Western transfer; compatible with MALDI-TOF analysis and sequence analysis (refs 2-5)
- Water wash increases staining sensitivity – optional step provides crystal-clear gel background and makes weakly stained bands more visible
Product Details:
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| Protocol summary for the Thermo Scientific GelCode Blue Stain Reagent. |
This unique GelCode Blue Stain Reagent stains only protein and allows bands to be viewed directly in the gel during the 1 hour gel staining process. After staining, a water equilibration step (Water Wash Enhancement) further enhances staining sensitivity and yields a clear gel background. Because the destaining step does not fix the protein, GelCode Blue Stain is compatible with mass spectrometry analysis and N-terminal sequence analysis.
| Comparison of a traditional homemade coomassie gel stain reagent and the Thermo Scientific GelCode Blue Stain Reagent. |
| Traditional Coomassie Stain |
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Thermo Scientific GelCode Blue Stain Reagent |
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Staining time: 1 hour
No bands visible before destaining. |
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Staining time: 1 hour
Bands visible in the staining tray. |
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After destaining: 1 hour
in methanol:acetic acid. |
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After destaining: 1 hour
Water Wash Enhancement. |
GelCode Blue Stain Reagent contains additives that help to slow down the formation of dye-dye and dye-protein aggregates, which form in all coomassie dye-based protein staining reagents. Nevertheless, if left undisturbed, the reagent will form visible dye-dye aggregates that settle in the bottom of the bottle. Fortunately, gently inverting or tipping-and-swirling the bottle several times completely disperses these aggregates. Therefore, it is good practice to mix the stain reagent before pouring or dispensing to ensure that a homogeneous sample of the reagent is used.
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References:
- Mateer, S.C., et al. (2002). J. Biol. Chem. 227, 12324-12333.
- Aulak, K.S., et al. (2001). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 12056-12061.
- Lim, J., et al. (2002). J. Biol. Chem. 277, 20774-20782.
- Hilton, J.M., et al. (2001). J. Biol. Chem. 276, 16341-16347.
- Tani, M., et al. (2002). J. Biol. Chem. 275, 3462-3468.
Related Products:
GelCode Blue Safe Stain Reagent
Imperial Protein Stain
Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 and G-250 Dyes
Reversible Protein Stain for Membranes
Related Resources:
GelCode Blue Stain Reagent FAQ
Process stained polyacrylamide gel pieces for mass spectrometry (Tech Tip #50)
Purify proteins from polyacrylamide gels (Tech Tip #51)
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