Helena also offers a similar system for detecting cholesterol levels. Other less costly convenience products may appeal to a broader audience. Take Castaway pre-cast sequencing gels, sold by Stratagene Corp. of La Jolla, Calif., for instance. No one else manufactures precast sequencing gels. And bis-acrylamide presents problems of its own.
Unpolymerized acrylamide is a neurotoxin.
For those interested in greater simplicity of gel preparation, but still willing to do some of the work themselves, Owl Scientific Inc. of Woburn, Mass., offers its Burst-Pak sequencing gels. These packets contain all the materials required to polymerize the acrylamide. After breaking the internal seals, the researcher pours the gel into his or her plate assembly. The gel reportedly will polymerize in about 15 minutes. Owl also makes pre-cast acrylamide gels that are suitable for protein or DNA electrophoresis.