Wide Variety of Gels Can Now Be Analyzed With One Imaging System

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 27 Mar 2013
A new high-quality gel imager provides flexible, simple, efficient, and economical imaging, analysis, and documentation within a single system.

UVP, LLC (UVP; Upland, CA, USA) introduces its new “GelDoc-Ite Imager” designed for fast, simple imaging of various gel types. This imager "provides researchers with a resourceful and economical system [while] hardware features facilitate ease of use [...]. Side access doors are conveniently located for cutting or moving gels, a UV-safe gel viewer window enables viewing of illuminated gels, and a camera and zoom lens configuration captures large gels or zooms in on details," said UVP management team member Mike Capps.

Image: GelDoc-Ite, the new imaging system for gel documentation from UVP (Photo courtesy of UVP, LLC).

The integrated UV transilluminator accommodates a wide range of gel sizes and samples are illuminated with a choice of transilluminator for maximizing fluorophore stain excitation. A unit with midrange 302 nm UV is for viewing ethidium bromide (EtBr) and other stains, while the 3UV model provides user-selectable 302, 365, and 254 nm excitation. An EtBr emission filter is included as standard with the GelDoc-Ite, while a variety of optional emission filters are available to suit various applications. The modular design enables placement of converter plates onto the UV transillumination surface, converting midrange UV to specific wavelengths for illumination of a variety of stains. The “Visi-Blue” Converter Plate converts the UV to 460–470 nm blue light for viewing stains such as SYBR Green, SYBR Safe, and GelGreen. When white light transillumination is required, the White Light Converter Plate can be used for viewing gels such as Coomassie Blue and Silver stain.

GelDoc-Ite simplifies imaging with the intuitive, workflow-based “VisionWorks LS” software. Easy-to-use one-touch buttons enable fast image acquisition, while the software controls the scientific grade CCD camera, which captures high quality, publication-ready images. Researchers can conduct 1D analysis and generate extensive quantitative data using molecular weight, histograms, lane profile graphs and other tools. Once analysis is complete, exporting result data to Excel and other programs for documentation and publication is accomplished with the software's integrated export tools.

With its compact size, the GelDoc-Ite Imager greatly reduces lab bench-space requirements and, with its user-friendly system, minimal operator training is required. Its design enables researchers to easily view gels using multiple light sources, to quickly capture and save publication-quality images, and to analyze lanes and bands. Fluorescent, colorimetric, or blue light imaging of a wide variety of gels can now be satisfied within this single system.

Related Links:

UVP, LLC
GelDoc-Ite



Latest BioResearch News