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Hoefer DALT System Loading and Running Second Dimension Gels
Amersham Biosciences
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Unloading the DALT Cassettes
1. When you are ready to remove the cassettes, unplug the buffer circulation pump
and the circulating water bath, turn off the power supply and disconnect the power
leads. Open the DALT Tank lid only when the power supply is turned off and
disconnected.
N
OTE
Wear gloves when handling gels that will be silver-stained, since fingerprints
will show after staining.
2. Remove the cassettes carefully, one at a time, using both hands.
The cassettes are slippery because of the presence of SDS. Rubber gloves may
improve your grip on the glass. Unload the cassettes into dish racks (ten per rack),
that are placed in plastic containers of water, to minimize gel drying.
3. Place a cassette on a flat surface and pry it open very carefully with a plastic wedge
such as the Wonder Wedge. Avoid metal wedges or spatulas, which can easily chip
the glass.
Put the stiff wedge end into the top comer of the cassette away from the hinge and
twist it gently. Take care not to chip the glass of the cassette. When opening the
cassette, make sure that the gel adheres to one of the plates and is not sticking partly
to both, to avoid tearing the gel.
If the gel sticks to the plate with the spacers attached, run a single edge razor blade
down between gel and spacers to assure that the gel is not sticking to either spacer.
4. Carefully peel the gel from the glass, lifting it by the bottom (high %T end, if a
gradient), and place it in a tray of fixative solution. Use a fixative appropriate for
your staining technique.
In case of a tear in the gel, remove the torn section last, working toward the tear.
Cleaning DALT Cassettes
1. Soak the used cassettes in distilled water if you can't clean them immediately.
To avoid clogging the sink drain, use a fine, removable sink trap to catch shreds of
polymerized acrylamide.
2. To clean the cassettes, thoroughly rinse them in warm water, going over all surfaces
with a non-scratching, plastic dish-cleaning pad. The SDS already on the plates is
usually sufficient detergent for cleaning.
3. Finally, rinse the cassettes with distilled water and air dry them in the open position
on the lab bench or in a drying rack.
4. Store the cassettes in a closed cabinet to keep them free from dust.