Separation of carrier film from electrophoretic gel in an electrophoresis blot process

摘要

A cast gel slab 2 for electrophoresis (for example a western blot process) comprises channels 8 cast into the slab. In use, after a transfer process has been completed between the gel slab 2 and a carrier film 5, fluid (preferably a buffer fluid) may be pumped at high pressure through the channels causing the film and gel to separate. As separation continues the fluid flows into the spaces created by the separation and further perpetuates the separation. In a second embodiment a fluid of high molecular weight (for example sorbitol) is sealed into the channels. Fluid will migrate via osmosis out of the gel into the high molecular weight fluid and thus cause the pressure to rise. Separation continues as in the first embodiment. In a third embodiment the pressured embodiments wets the carrier film to a greater extent than the gel and thus seeps more readily between the carrier film and the gel easing the separation. The carrier film may be nitrocellulose and the fluid a buffer solution, or the film may be PVDF and the fluid a methanol/acetone mix.