JPH03189536A - Simple gel drying device and drying method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a gel drying device whose running cost is inexpensive, where drying is easily performed and which hardly causes warpage in dried gel by constituting the device of a gel drying board, a gel drying frame and a fixing member which clamps the gel drying board and the gel drying frame. CONSTITUTION:A small quantity of pure water is dropped on the center part of the gel drying table 11 and a transparent cellophane paper 12 which is cut in the size of the drying board 11 is superposed on the water so that air does not enter. The gel 13 is superposed on the center part of the cellophane paper 12 so as to expel air bubbles which get into between the gel 13 and the paper 12. Then, a cellophane paper 14 in the same size as the paper 12 is superposed on the gel 13 so that the air does not enter. The gel drying frame 15 is placed on the cellophane paper 14 to interpose the cellophane paper. The drying board 11 and the drying frame 15 are superposed to interpose them by a clamp 16 and fixed by a screw 16a. Then, the gel is naturally dried at a room temperature. The cellophane paper has transmittance and hygroscopicity, and the gel 13 is dried through the mortice part 15a of the cellophane paper 14 and the drying frame 15. After drying the gel, the excess part of the cellophane paper around the gel is cut and the gel is preserved.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a convenient method for storing polyamide gels after electrophoresing proteins and nucleic acids and drying them for analysis by optical scanning, exposure by autoradiography, etc. The present invention relates to a mold gel drying device and a drying method.

[Conventional technology]

In general, many biochemical substances are ampholytes that have many dissociative groups in their molecules, and each exhibits a unique charge change in response to changes in pH, so based on this property, they move under an electric field. Electrophoresis is used to separate each component based on the difference in speed, and in the case of proteins and nucleic acids, a gel such as agarose, polyacrylamide, or starch, which has a molecular sieving effect, is used as a support to stabilize the zone. It is being electrophoresed. Then, the gel after electrophoresis is subjected to autoradiography or densitometry) IJ-
Conventionally, heat-drying is performed for measurement and preservation.

Such a conventional drying device will be explained with reference to FIG.

The drying device includes a drying unit 20 and a control unit 3.
0, and the drying unit 20 includes a heating plate 21.
is mounted, and can be sucked and depressurized from the suction port 24 by a vacuum pump (not shown). The control unit 30 is placed on the auxiliary plate 22, a connection cord 32 is connected to the socket 23 of the drying unit, and power is supplied through the human power cord 31 to generate heat in the heating plate. In addition, the control unit 30 is provided with a vacuum pump outlet 33, a pilot lamp 34, a heating temperature setting dial 35, a heating timer 36, and a vacuum pump timer 37, so that pressure reduction and heating can be controlled.

For heating and drying, as shown in FIG. 5, a stainless steel screen 40, a filter paper backing 4L 42, and a Mylar sheet or a polyethylene sheet 43 are sequentially laminated on the drying unit 20, and a silicone rubber gasket 44 is placed on top of the stainless steel screen 40, filter paper backing 4L'7' 42, and a Mylar sheet or polyethylene sheet 43, as shown in FIG. The sheets are stacked one on top of the other and brought into close contact with the heating plate, and the drying process is controlled by the control unit's reduced pressure and energization.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional drying device shown in Fig. 4 requires a vacuum pump, a heater, etc., making the device expensive and
The operation also requires skill, and when heated too much, especially high-concentration acrylamide gels, there are problems such as cracking during drying or warping of the gel after drying.

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and is a simple gel drying device and drying method that is an inexpensive device, has low running costs, can be easily dried, and hardly causes warping in the gel after drying. The purpose is to provide

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides a gel drying table, a gel drying frame having a hollowed-out center portion and sandwiching a gel sandwiched with cellophane paper on the gel drying table, and a gel drying table. A simple gel drying device consisting of a fixing member that clamps the gel drying frame and a gel drying frame, a gel is placed in the center of cellophane paper spread on the gel drying table, and then cellophane paper is placed on top of that, and the gel is placed in the center on top of the cellophane paper. The gel drying method is characterized by stacking gel drying frames with hollowed out parts and clamping the drying table and the gel drying frame.

[Effect]

In the present invention, a gel sandwiched with cellophane paper is sandwiched and fixed between a gel drying table and a gel drying frame with a hollowed out center, and by leaving it at room temperature for about a day to air dry, The device is extremely simple, requires no running costs, and does not require any skill for drying.
It becomes possible to perform drying without warping.

〔Example〕

Examples will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the elements of a drying device, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a state in which gel is set in the drying device.

In the figure, 11 is a gel drying table, 12.14 is cellophane paper, 1
3 is a gel, 15 is a gel drying frame, 15a is a hollowed out part, 1
6 is a clamp, and 16a is a set screw.

As shown in FIG. 2(a), the gel drying table 11 is made of a rectangular transparent acrylic plate, for example, 22 cm long, 26 cm wide, and 5 mm thick, with no warpage or bending.

As shown in Figure 2, etc., the gel drying frame 15 has the same thickness, size, and shape as the gel drying table, has a rectangular shape approximately 16 cm long and 20 cm wide, and is transparent with no warping or bending. It is made of acrylic board. Cellophane paper for sandwiching the gel may be commercially available at stationery stores.

Clamp 1G is attached to gel drying table 1 as shown in Figure 2 (C).
1 and the gel drying frame 15 and clamp pieces 16b and 16
c (distance: 15 cm, length: approximately 5 cm) and fastened with screws, and the four corners of the drying table and drying frame are clamped.

Drying is performed using the following process.

■First, thoroughly wash the stained and decolored gel with pure water.

■ Drop a small amount of pure water into the center of the gel drying table 11, and place a transparent cellophane paper 12 cut to the size of the gel drying table on top of it.
Layer them starting from the corner to prevent air from entering. This is because if air enters the cellophane paper, it will wrinkle, which will adversely affect subsequent measurements with a densitometer.

■ Layer the gel 13 on the center of the cellophane paper 12, and remove any air bubbles that may have gotten in between by using a hand wearing rubber gloves or the like.

■Place a cellophane paper 14 of the same size as the cellophane paper 12 on top of the gel 13 carefully, as in ■, so as not to trap air.

■ Place the gel drying frame 15 on top of it, sandwich the cellophane paper, and use the clamp 16 to stack the drying frame and the drying frame and sandwich it.
It is fixed with screws 16a to form the state shown in FIG.

■Leave it at room temperature for about a day to air dry. Cellophane paper is permeable and hygroscopic, and the gel is dried through the cellophane paper 14 and the cutout 15a of the gel drying frame. After drying,
Cut off the excess cellophane paper around the gel with scissors and save.

In this way, sandwich the gel with cellophane paper and apply
By holding the gel between male acrylic plates and drying it naturally using a simple device that hollows out the center of one of the acrylic plates, it becomes possible to dry and store the gel without warping or cracking.

For high-concentration gels such as gradient gels and acrylamide, add 2% (v/v) DMS to the gel before drying.
O (dimethyl sulfoxide) and 10% (v/v)
Equilibration with acetic acid or a 2% (V/V) glycerin solution followed by drying can prevent gel cracking.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the present invention, a gel wrapped in cellophane paper is sandwiched between a gel drying stand made of a transparent acrylic plate and a gel drying frame, and is air-dried at room temperature. The gel is transparent and can be analyzed using a transmission densitometer, there is no need for suction with a vacuum pump, no heat source such as a heater or hot water bath is required, and even highly concentrated acrylamide gels can crack during drying. It has less drying properties and is cheaper than commercially available gel drying equipment with a heater.The only consumable needed is cellophane paper, so running costs are low, and there is almost no warping of the gel after drying, making it convenient for storage.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the elements of the drying device, Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the gel set in the drying device, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the elements of the drying device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional drying device, and is a diagram for explaining drying by the device shown in FIG. 4. 11...'f Le drying stand, 12.14... Cellophane paper, 13... Gel, 15... Gel drying frame, 15a.
...Drilling recognition, 16...Clamp, 16a...Set screw. Figure 1 (a) Applicant: Tonen Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A gel drying table, a gel drying frame with a hollowed out center that holds the gel placed on the gel drying table sandwiched with cellophane paper between the gel drying table, and the gel drying table and the gel. A simple gel drying device consisting of a drying frame and a fixing member for clamping the drying frame. (2) The simple gel drying device according to claim 1, wherein the gel drying stand and gel drying frame are made of a transparent acrylic plate. (3) Lay the gel on the center of the cellophane paper spread on the gel drying table, then layer the cellophane paper on top of that, and on top of that, lay the gel drying frame with the center cut out, and then put the gel drying frame on the drying table and the gel drying frame. A gel drying method characterized by clamping.