Gel Electrophoresis Services

   The Proteomics Division of the Mass Spectrometry Facility offers a full service for 1- and 2-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of complex protein mixtures using a high-capacity Isoelectric Focusing Platform [PROTEAN IEF Cell from BioRad Laboratories Inc., Hercules CA] capable of running twelve 11, 17 or 24cm IPG strips combined with either a Criterion set up [BioRad Laboratories Inc., Hercules CA] dedicated electrophoresis cell for running Criterion precast gels which accommodate 11cm IPG strips for exceptional resolution in under 60 minutes or a PROTEAN II xi cell [BioRad Laboratories Inc., Hercules CA] that can run up to 4 slab gels (20cmx20cm) in about 4 hours for high-power 2-D runs.

    The high quality white light scanner (400-750nm) [GS-800 from BioRad Laboratories Inc., Hercules CA] combined with a Red/Blue/Green laser-based fluoro-imager [Molecular Imager FX Pro Plus from BioRad Laboratories Inc., Hercules CA] creates a support for the widest range of imaging applications . From the colometric stains like Coomassie Blue, Silver and Zinc through highly sensitive fluorometric stains like Deep Purple [Amersham Biosciences] or SYPRO-Ruby to CyDye applications with multiplex labeling and optimal excitation of single or multicolor fluorescent samples. The ProteomeWorks Plus Spot Cutter [BioRad Laboratories, Hercules CA] linked via a PDQuest 2D-analysis software allows for a direct spot excision of any interesting protein detected with a scanning hardware and analyzed with a multi-user licensed software.

    The Difference In Gel Electrophoresis [DIGE] service encompasses labeling the proteins with Minimal Dyes [down to 50µg of proteins per labeling] or Scarce Sample Dyes [down to 5µg of proteins per labeling] with two [Cy3 and Cy5] or three [Cy2, Cy3 and Cy5] dyes depending on application and internal controls required.