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Document # 18108-0807-8
Rockland, ME 04841 USAMetaPhor® Agarose
The high resolution agarose that challenges polyacrylamide.
Introduction
MetaPhor® Agarose is a high resolution agarose thatchallenges polyacrylamide. MetaPhor® Agarose is anintermediate melting temperature (75°C) agarose withtwice the resolution capabilities of the finest-sieving
agarose products. Using submarine gel electrophoresis,
you can resolve PCR† products and small DNA
fragments that differ in size by 2%.

Precautions
Always wear eye protection when dissolving agaroseand guard yourself and others against scaldingsolutions. Refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet for
additional safety and handling information.

Analytical Specifications
GeIling temperature (3%)
Melting temperature (3%)
Gel strength (3%)

1. Choose a beaker that is 2-4 times the volume of thesolution.
2. Add chilled 1X or 0.5X electrophoresis buffer and astir bar to the beaker.
3. Slowly sprinkle in the agarose powder while thesolution is rapidly stirred.
4. Remove the stir bar if not Teflon® coated.
5. Soak the agarose in the buffer for 15 minutes before
heating. This reduces the tendency of the agarose
solution to foam during heating.
6. Weigh the beaker and solution before heating.
7. Cover the beaker with plastic wrap.
8. Pierce a small hole in the plastic wrap for ventilation.
For agarose concentrations >4%, the following
additional steps will further help prevent theagarose solution from foaming during
melting/dissolution:
A. Heat the beaker in the microwave oven on
Medium power for 1 minute.
B. Remove the solution from the microwave.
C. Allow the solution to sit on the bench for
15 minutes.
9. Heat the beaker in the microwave oven on Medium
power for 2 minutes.
10. Remove the beaker from the microwave oven.
Caution: Any microwaved solution may becomesuperheated and foam over when agitated.
11. GENTLY swirl the beaker to resuspend any settled
powder and gel pieces.
12. Reheat the beaker on HIGH power until the solution
comes to a boil.
13. Hold at boiling point for 1 minute or until all of theparticles are dissolved.
14. Remove the beaker from the microwave oven.
15. GENTLY swirl the beaker to thoroughly mix theagarose solution.

Microwave lnstructions for Agarose Preparation<35°C<75°C>300 g/cm²Applications• High resolution separation of 20 bp-800 bp DNAfragments• Recovery of fragments under 800 bp• Fine analysis of PCR† products• AMPFLP, STR and tri- and tetranucleotide repeat
analysis
Suggested Agarose Concentrations
Size Range

Final Agarose Concentration (%)(Base Pairs)

1X TAE Buffer

1X TBE Buffer

150-800
100-600
50-25020-130
<80

2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0-1.8
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0

Dye Mobility Table
Migration of double-stranded DNA in relation toBromophenol Blue (BPB) and Xylene Cyanol (XC) inMetaPhor® Agarose gels.
1X TAE Buffer%

1X TBE Buffer

XCBPBAgarose

XCBPB

480
200
12085

70
403530

2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0

310
14085
60

40
3530
151

16. After dissolution, add sufficient hot distilled water toobtain the initial weight.
17. Mix thoroughly.
18. Cool the solution to 50°C-60°C prior to casting.
Once the gel is cast, allow the molten agarose tocool and gel at room temperature. The gel mustthen be placed at 4°C for 20 minutes to obtainoptimal resolution and gel handlingcharacteristics.
Hot Plate Instructions for Agarose Preparation
1. Choose a beaker that is 2-4 times the volume of thesolution.
2. Add chilled temperature electrophoresis buffer anda stir bar to the beaker.
3. Slowly sprinkle the agarose powder while thesolution in rapidly stirred.
4. Weigh the beaker and solution before heating.
5. Cover the beaker with plastic wrap.
6. Pierce a small hole in the plastic wrap for ventilation.
7. Bring the solution to a boil while stirring.
8. Maintain gentle boiling until all the agarose isdissolved (approximately 10 minutes).
9. Add sufficient hot distilled water to obtain the initial
weight.
10. Mix thoroughly.
11. Cool the solution to 50°C-60°C prior to casting.
Once the gel is cast, allow the molten agarose tocool and gel at room temperature. The gel mustthen be placed at 4°C for 20 minutes to obtain
optimal resolution and gel handlingcharacteristics.

Ordering Information
Catalog No.
50181
50180
50184

Size
25 g
125 g
500 g

For more information on MetaPhor® Agarose, contact
Technical Service at (800) 521-0390 or visit our website atwww.Lonza.com.

Related Products:
DNA Ladders
DNA Markers®
AccuGENE TAE and TBE Buffers®
GelStar Nucleic Acid Gel Stain

GelStar is a trademark of FMC Corporation. Teflon is atrademark of E.I. duPont de Nemours and Co. All othertrademarks herein are marks of the Lonza Group or its
affiliates. GelStar is covered by US patent 5,436,134. Other
US & foreign patent pending.

For Laboratory Use.
© 2007 Lonza Rockland, Inc.
All rights reserved.

†The PCR process may be covered by one or more third-partypatents.

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