ACRF Gel_doc_SOP Created on 5/11/2009 2:51:00 PM
ACRF Gel-Doc operation SOP
1 Loading the gel
2 Taking a picture of the gel
3 Saving the picture and printing
4 Cleaning the system
Composed / Cairo Forrest / Research AssistantReviewed / Pavel Bitter / ACRF Manager
Version / 1.0
Date / 11.11.2009
Safety Note:
Wear gloves when handling the gels and operating the gel doc. Also wear gloves when operating the computer of the gel doc system
1 Loading the gel
Open the front door/bottom drawer of the Gel-Doc system and place your gel in the middle of the transilluminator tray. When you close the door tray, make sure it is closed until you can hear and feel a click, as the most common error for troubleshooting is a not properly closed tray door and then the UV light doesn’t come on!!!
2 Taking a picture of the gel
On the desktop of the computer find the icon for “Quantity One” software. Double click the icon to open the software. In the upper menu bar select “File”. In the scroll down menu that pops up choose “ChemiDoc XRS”.
A new popup window will appear called “XRS window”
-press “Select” and choose “UV Transillumination” from the drop-down menu.
-At the Gel-doc unit itself , there is a button to manually turn on the UV light. Press this button, a green LED will show, that the light now is on (only goes on if tray is fully closed).
-Back in the software in the “XRS window” choose “Live/Focus”.
-The gel should slowly become visible as the window becomes live-acquiring.
-there are three buttons “IRIS” “ZOOM” and “FOCUS” use the + and – buttons to adjust the zoom, focus and brightness of the gel picture.
(sometimes the zoom shoots out and then doesn’t come back, then close this window and reopen it)
-Then press “Freeze” to make a snapshot.
-Now use the buttons “MANUAL EXPOSE” to manually enter a value for your preferred exposure time or “AUTOMATIC EXPOSE” to let the software do the job.
-the software will open up a new window with the result of the exposure. This new window is a raw-data window of the software. You can save it but if you wanted to open it from any other computer it needs the “Quantity One” software installed to open it.
-Decide whether you want the “black and white look” or prefer the “white in black look”. If you do so, then go to “Image” and select “Transform” and choose in the Display tab (right lower corner) the “Invert Display”and click “OK”.
3 Saving the picture and printing
-To save as JPEG file, go to “FILE” and choose “Export to JPEG”
Please store your file only temporarily on the desktop, long term storage is in “BioRad docs” folder
-You can also save the raw-data image. As said it will only open in “Quantity One” softwarebut can then be manipulated (the JPEG cannot be altered later)
-You can print the picture directly to a cancer printer or some other pre-installed printers, the ACRF facility does not have its printer connected to the Gel-doc system. Go to “File” “PRINT” and then choose the printer closest to your lab.
4 Cleaning the system
-Open the front door/bottom drawer of the Gel-Doc system, take out your gel and throw it in the waste bin next to the gel doc system.
-Clean theglass plate with 70% Ethanol and Kimwipes. Wait until all of the Ethanol has evaporated and close the door tray.
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Y:\ACRF Facility\Info for the ACRF facility\SOPs\ACRF Gel_doc_SOP.doc