DuFinder is a novel nucleic acid stain. As a unique oily macromolecule, it features low volatility and sublimation, low risk of inhalation into the human body, and cannot cross cell membranes to enter living cells. At gel staining concentrations, it is non-mutagenic. Characterized by safe operation and high detection sensitivity, it can be used as a stain for various nucleic acid electrophoresis and is suitable for staining nucleic acid fragments of different sizes. It is fully compatible with standard gel imaging systems and visible-light-excited gel viewers, applicable to both UV gel imaging systems and blue visible light-excited gel observation devices. The DuFinder fluorescent stain supplied by our company is a concentrated 10000× dye.
Operating Procedures:
1. Agarose Gel Electrophoresis Staining (Recommended Method)
① Gel casting: Prepare agarose gel following standard protocols. Add concentrated DuFinder nucleic acid dye (10000×) to reach a final concentration of 1× in the gel. (Example: Add 5 μL of dye for 50 mL gel solution). Mix gently and cast the gel.
② Perform electrophoresis routinely and visualize results. (The dye slows DNA migration; the voltage may be increased appropriately during electrophoresis.)
2. Post-electrophoresis Bath Staining
① Run electrophoresis using standard protocols.
② DuFinder nucleic acid dye (10000×) approximately 3300-fold in 0.1 M NaCl solution to prepare 3× staining solution. (Example: Add 15 μL DuFinder nucleic acid dye (10000×) and 5 mL 1 M NaCl into 45 mL H₂O.)
③ Carefully place the gel into an appropriate container such as a polypropylene vessel. Slowly add sufficient 3× staining solution to fully submerge the gel. Shake at room temperature for approximately 30 min for staining.
④ Visualize bands using a gel imager.
Precautions:
Please read these notes thoroughly before using this kit!
1. DuFinder has excellent thermal stability. It can be added directly into hot agarose solution without waiting for cooling. Shake, vortex or invert the solution to ensure thorough mixing. Alternatively, DuFinder stock solution may be added to agarose powder and electrophoresis buffer before heating by microwave or other common methods for gel preparation. DuFinder is compatible with all commonly used electrophoresis buffers.
2. If band smearing or poor separation persists, bath staining is recommended to verify whether the issue originates from the dye. If the problem remains after staining, it is unrelated to the dye. Troubleshooting options: reduce agarose concentration; use a longer gel; extend gelation time for sharp band edges; optimize sample loading technique, or adopt bath staining.
3. DuFinder has certain affinity for glassware and non-polypropylene materials. Polypropylene containers are recommended for dilution, storage and staining operations.
4. Use bath staining for polyacrylamide gels.
