Gel Electrophoresis
Student Instructions
BioRad
Set up
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Gel Electrophoresis Student Station Set-up
tip container w/tips
waste container
practice sheet
in protector
foam epi rack w/ 1 food
color tube each:
orange, green, purple
Micro-pipettor
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How to Use a micro-pipettor
Plunger
• Parts of a Micro-pipettor
– Make sure a yellow tip is
firmly twisted onto the end
of the micro-pipettor
– Adjust the dispense amount
to 5 µl (05.0) by turning the
knob at the top
Eject button
Amount
window
Barrel
Yellow tip
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How to Use a micro-pipettor
• Carefully open one of the
food color tubes
– Don’t let the lid snap back
and splash you!
• To Fill – press down gently
with your thumb until you feel
the plunger stop. This is STOP
1. While holding the plunger at
Stop 1 place the tip into the
liquid and release the plunger.
This will draw up the precise
volume you want.
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How to Use a micro-pipettor
• To Dispense – press down hard
on the plunger, you’ll pass Stop
1 and continue to STOP 2. This
will fully eject the volume from
the tip.
• Using your other hand to guide
the end of the tip, practice
dispensing the 5µl drops
– Try to not push down on the
plastic sheet - see if you can
hold the pipettor tip just above
the paper
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How to Use a micro-pipettor
• Push green button to eject
the dirty tip into the waste
container and replace with
a clean tip
• Always use a clean tip
each time!!
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How to Use a micro-pipettor
• Ready to load a real gel?
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Loading the gel
• Load the food color
solutions into the wells on
your group’s gel
• Be careful not to poke
through the bottom of the
wells!
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