Bio-Rad TGX FastCast and TGX Stain-Free FastCast acrylamide kits for gel electrophoresis

Bio-Rad Laboratories has launched its TGX FastCast acrylamide and TGX Stain-Free FastCast acrylamide kits, which provide handcast gel users access to the company’s TGX gel chemistry. The kits allow users to hand cast polyacrylamide gels with fast run times, efficient protein transfers and consistent, reproducible results.

The TGX Stain-Free version allows users to monitor the success of each step in their protein electrophoresis and western blotting workflows. Stain-free technology provides confidence at each step of the workflow through visual checks. Stain-free visualisation also enables total protein normalisation, a more accurate method than using housekeeping proteins for correcting loading errors.

Unlike traditional handcast gels, which require 60 min to polymerise before running, FastCast gels can be used only 30 min after casting. Protein electrophoresis can then be run on the gels in as little as 20 min. In addition, the gels can conveniently be stored for up to four weeks after casting, allowing researchers to cast multiple gels at once and use as needed.

Proteins can be transferred from FastCast gels in as little as 3 min when used with Bio-Rad’s Trans-Blot Turbo transfer system. The Stain-Free FastCast acrylamide kits further allow protein detection in gels or on membranes in 3-5 min using the company’s stain-free imaging systems. This makes it possible for researchers to cast their gels and achieve complete protein separation, gel imaging and data analysis in less than an hour.