This lab is an introductory lab done to teach students how to make, load, and run a gel. These skills will be used in future labs such as using DNA fingerprinting to solve a crime (a class favorite). Instead of DNA, a number of different dyes are separated using gel electrophoresis. |
 Students use micropippetes to measure the right amount of dye to be transfered to the gel. |
 Dyes are then "loaded" into the "wells" of the gel. Wells are spaces created by while making the gel. |
 The loading of the dyes involves good technique to get all the dye into the well without puncturing the gel! |
 Once the dyes have been loaded, a liquid "buffer" is added to the gel electrophoresis apparatus to help the migration of dye molecules using electricity. |
 It is important for students to record where dyes have been loaded for later analysis. |
 Once the dyes have been loaded and the buffer added, the gel apparatus is ready to be covered and run. |
 The amount of time and voltage used is programmed. As you can see, there are 2 gels being run in this lab. |
 After the gels have run and power has been disconnected, the gel tray can be removed from the apparatus so the gel can be studied. |
 Getting the gel out of the tray without breaking is the final challenge! |
 This is the final product. You can see that some dyes migrated farther than other and in different directions. |
 Students then analyze the migration of the dyes. The size, charge, and weight of the dye molecules can be discovered after the completion of this lab. |