15585-011 - FAQs

What amount of ethidium bromide do I need to stain nucleic acids in gels?

After electrophoresis, the gel should be stained in a 0.5-1.0 µg/mL solution of ethidium bromide in deionized water for 15 to 60 min depending on the thickness of the gel. As an optional step to reduce background fluorescence, the gel can be destained in deionized water for 15 to 30 min. Alternatively, ethidium bromide may be added directly to the agarose prior to casting. Add ethidium bromide to melted agarose to a final concentration of 0.5 µg/mL. This has the advantage of reducing the amount of ethidium bromide waste. However, this procedure may reduce the migration rate of nucleic acids.