Molecular biologists study the molecules of life – DNA, RNA, and protein – and how they interact within a cell and an organism. Basic techniques, like molecular cloning, allow researchers to cut, manipulate, and paste DNA to better study it in vitro.
Every day, in research labs around the world, scientists use electrophoresis to analyze their DNA sequences of interest. This technique uses electricity and a porous gel matrix to separate nucleic acid into discrete zones, or bands, based on physical properties like charge, shape, and size.
The first step to running agarose gel electrophoresis is creating the gel. This step is the equivalent of making a scientific Jell-O mold. Agarose is a powder, which is added to electrophoresis buffer and heated to boiling so that it dissolves. So, how can we heat the solution?
In this video, we discuss a quick, easy, and budget friendly way to prepare your agarose gels.
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