How long can I store the labelled gel before I have to scan it and what storage conditions should I use?
CyDye™ DIGE Fluor minimal dyes are very stable but after 24 hours there will be a noticeable amount of protein spot diffusion. We therefore recommend that once the gel run is complete, labelled gels are scanned on the same day. The gels should be removed from the electrophoresis tank and placed in a light excluding box, containing running buffer at room temperature. If it is not practical to scan gels on the same day, the gels are best stored at 4 oC in the dark, in running buffer and scanned within 24 hours. Fluorescence is temperature dependent so it is important that the gels are allowed to warm to room temperature prior to scanning. It is not recommended that analytical gels are fixed as fixing affects the fluorescence of the CyDye DIGE Fluor minimal dyes. Fixed gels may not provide accurate quantitative information about protein levels. After scanning, preparative gels can be fixed and stored in 5% ethanol (acid-free) until required for picking. Once fixed, gels can be stored for
