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Choosing the Right Stain for your Classroom

Recently many new DNA stains have emerged on the market. There are differences in the way they are used, their sensitivity, and price. Below are a few of the more common stains that the research team at FOTODYNE Incorporated has evaluated to help you choose.

Stain: Ethidium
Bromide		 Methylene
Blue		 SYBR
 Safe™		 GelRed™ GelGreen™ FOTO/Vision™
Sensitivity

Better than

0.1 ug DNA

 Better than
0.5 ug DNA		 Better than
0.1 ug DNA		 Better than
0.1 ug DNA		 Better than
0.1 ug DNA		 Better than
0.1 ug DNA
Min. Staining Time 10 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes Run as a
loading dye
Destaining Time 5 minutes is
recommended to
enhance contrast		 None None None None None
Can be added
directly to gel?		 yes no no yes yes yes
Safety In the Ames test,
90 ug of EtBr is
as mutagenic as
the smoke from
one cigarette.
The standard
concentration
used in staining
DNA gels is
0.5 - 1 ug/ml.		 Not
mutagenic		 Compared
with
ethidium
bromide,
SYBR Safe
stain causes
fewer mutations
in the
Ames test.		 Weak
mutagenicity at
highest dose
(18.5 mg/ml) in
Ames testing,
not mutagenic at
concentrations
used for gel
staining		 Not mutagenic
in Ames
testing		 Not mutagenic
in Ames
testing
Reusability Staining solution
can be re-used
many times		 Staining solution
can be re-used many times		 Not
reusable		 Not
reusable		 Not
reusable		 Not
reusable
Disposal Must filter liquids
through activated
charcoal and
incinerate solids		 Can dispose of in sink drain Can dispose of in sink drain  Depending on local regulations, can dispose of in sink drain Depending on local regulations, can dispose of in sink drain Depending on local regulations, can dispose of in sink drain
Appx. price
per mini-gel		 $0.02 $0.20 $0.50 $0.57 $0.48 $0.85
(8 wells loaded)
Transillumination UV Light White Light UV Light UV Light UV Light UV Light
FOTODYNE
Filter		 Ethidium
Bromide		 Coomassie
Blue		 Fluorescent
Green		 Ethidium
Bromide		 Fluorescent
Green		 Ethidium
Bromide

 Questions
regarding these
stains or a
stain not listed
in this table?

 

Contact
FOTODYNE

Technical
Support at
800-362-3686
ext. 108.

  
    SYBRSafe is a trademark of Invitrogen Corporation GelRed and GelGreen are trademarks of Biotium, Inc.