Accuris Reagents

Agarose

<h2>What is agarose for gel electrophoresis?</h2>
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Agarose is a linear polysaccharide derived from agar that, when dissolved in hot buffer and allowed to cool, forms a porous gel matrix whose pore size is determined by the agarose concentration. DNA and RNA molecules migrate through this matrix under an electric field at a rate inversely related to their size, allowing fragments of different lengths to be separated and visualized as distinct bands.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">What you will find:</h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Azura Agarose for routine electrophoresis of nucleic acids with low electroendosmosis (EEO) performance</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Benchmark Agarose for PCR product analysis and high-quality nucleic acid separation</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Benchmark Specialty Agarose for specialized gel applications requiring enhanced resolution and performance control</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Standard Agarose for routine use in gel electrophoresis workflows</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">EZ Pack&trade; Agarose Tablets for agarose concentration control and convenient gel preparation&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How to choose agarose type and concentration</h2>
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Use standard agarose at 0.7&ndash;1% for routine PCR and restriction digest checks on larger fragments
A 0.7&ndash;1% standard agarose gel is commonly used for routine PCR product verification and restriction digest analysis when fragments are generally in the 1&ndash;10 kb size range.
Use 1.5&ndash;2% standard agarose for resolving smaller fragments in the 200 bp&ndash;2 kb range
Higher agarose concentrations from 1.5% to 2% are appropriate for resolving smaller PCR products, SNP genotyping amplicons, or restriction digests where size differences below 500 bp need to be clearly distinguished.
Use high-resolution agarose at 2&ndash;4% for very small fragments or close sizing
High-resolution agarose formulations can differentiate closely sized DNA fragments in the 50&ndash;500 bp range more effectively than standard agarose, making them useful for applications such as microsatellite or STR analysis.
Choose low-melting-point agarose when you need to recover DNA from gel slices
Low-melting-point (LMP) agarose can be melted at approximately 65&deg;C after electrophoresis, allowing DNA-containing gel slices to be processed more easily for downstream enzymatic reactions or purification workflows.
Confirm agarose purity (EEO grade) for sensitive applications
Electro-endosmosis (EEO) reflects agarose purity. Low-EEO agarose supports more consistent DNA migration and helps minimize contaminants that may interfere with downstream PCR amplification, restriction digestion, or other enzymatic applications.
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<h2>Specifications context</h2>
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Standard agarose gels are typically prepared by dissolving agarose powder in TAE or TBE buffer through heating, followed by cooling to approximately 55&deg;C before pouring into casting trays. Higher-concentration gels solidify more rapidly and generally benefit from prompt casting.
As of 2026, low-EEO agarose grades remain the preferred choice for sensitive applications such as Southern blotting, gel extraction followed by PCR, and restriction enzyme digestion workflows where contaminants can inhibit downstream reactions.
<a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">Contact the expert team</a> and get premium agarose gel for your research today.

Benchmark Specialty Agarose

Benchmark Specialty Agarose (A1801-LM) by MBP is a specialty agarose available in three variants: A1801-LM, A1801-31, and A1801-HR. Contact MBP for variant-specific information.

Manufacturer

Benchmark Agarose LM, Low Melt, 100g

Benchmark Agarose 3:1, 100g

Benchmark Agarose HR, PCR Grade for DNA fragments between 20 to 800bp, 100g

EZ Pack™ Agarose Tablets

EZ Pack™ Agarose Tablets (A2505) by MBP provide pre-measured molecular biology-grade agarose in tablet form for fast, reproducible, spill-free gel preparation — no weighing needed. Simply dissolve in TAE or TBE buffer by microwave. Available in A2505 and A2501 pack sizes. Stores at room temperature.

EZ Pack™ Agarose Tablets, pack of 1000 tablets (500g)

EZ Pack™ Agarose Tablets, pack of 200 tablets (100g)

Chemicals

<h2>What is Chemicals as a reagent category?</h2>
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Chemicals covers the broad range of chemical and biochemical reagents used across molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, and general laboratory work: biochemically relevant compounds like vitamins, buffer salts, amino acids, and enzyme substrates; general laboratory chemicals including solvents, acids, bases, and inorganic salts; and research-grade specialty chemicals for specific applications. Unlike application-specific categories such as Epigenetics or Electrophoresis, which organize reagents by research workflow, Chemicals organizes by the nature of the material itself.
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<h2 dir="ltr">What you'll Discover:</h2>
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<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://mbpinc.net/reagents/chemicals/biochemical-reagents" title="Biochemical Reagents:">Biochemical Reagents:</a> High-quality metabolic inducers such as IPTG (G116), L-Arabinose (A2001-ZYM), and Cumate (CH065), along with essential buffers and enzyme stabilizers like TRIS (CH059), DTT (G025), and PMSF (G034).
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://mbpinc.net/reagents/chemicals/inorganic-reagents-and-compounds" title="Inorganic Reagents &amp; Compounds:">Inorganic Reagents &amp; Compounds:</a> Ultra-pure essential chemical substances like Sodium Azide (CH052) designed for accurate laboratory buffer enhancement and sample conservation methodologies.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://mbpinc.net/reagents/chemicals/detergents-and-surfactants" title="Detergents &amp; Surfactants:">Detergents &amp; Surfactants:</a> Enhanced cell lysis and denaturing agents featuring 20% SDS (CH100) and concentrated 10X Tris-Glycine-SDS Buffer (CH125) for protein electrophoresis setup.
</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How to navigate Chemicals</h2>
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Start with Biochemical Reagents for biologically relevant compounds
Biochemical Reagents covers the subset of the catalog most relevant to molecular and cell biology workflows: vitamins and cofactors, buffer salts and ready-to-use buffer solutions, amino acids, and other compounds with specific roles in biological systems.
Check purity grade requirements before ordering a research chemical
Research-grade chemicals vary in purity from technical grade to ACS-certified, HPLC-grade, and molecular biology grade, with the appropriate grade depending on how the chemical is used; cell culture and enzymatic applications generally require higher purity than non-biological analytical or general lab use.
Confirm whether your chemical needs are better served by a specialty category
Some research chemicals belong more naturally in application-specific sections of the catalog, such as chromatin immunoprecipitation buffers in Epigenetics or gel running buffers in Electrophoresis, while general-purpose chemicals and biochemical reagents not tied to a single workflow type belong in this Chemicals branch.
Consider bulk ordering for high-consumption research chemicals
Common research chemicals like buffer salts, solvents, and vitamins are used in large quantities by active research labs, and bulk pricing can represent meaningful savings on frequently replenished reagents.
Look for certificates of analysis when accuracy matters for your application
Quantitative applications, including analytical standards, enzyme kinetics studies, and defined cell culture supplementation, require chemicals with documented lot-specific purity and concentration, typically confirmed by certificate of analysis provided with each lot.
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<h2>Specifications context</h2>
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Research-grade purity designations for laboratory chemicals follow widely adopted convention systems including ACS grade (meets American Chemical Society purity specifications), HPLC grade (verified purity for chromatographic applications), and molecular biology grade (certified free from nuclease, protease, and other activities that would interfere with molecular biology applications). As of 2026, pre-made, ready-to-use solutions for common biochemical reagents like PBS, HEPES buffer, and Tris-HCl continue to see growing adoption over powder or concentrated formats in labs prioritizing convenience and reproducibility over reagent cost per use.
<a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">Reach out to the friendly team at MBP</a> now to get a quote for your particular research needs.

QuickSilver™ Powdered Buffer Packs-QuickSilver Instruction Insert

QuickSilver™ Powdered Buffer Packs-QuickSilver Brochure

QuickSilver TAE Buffer Powder, 100 pouches

QuickSilver Tris-Glycine-SDS Buffer Powder, 50 pouches

QuickSilver PBS Buffer Powder, 100 pouches

QuickSilver PBS-T Buffer Powder, 100 pouches

QuickSilver TBS Buffer Powder, 100 pouches

QuickSilver TBS-T Buffer Powder, 100 pouches

QuickSilver Buffer Powders

QuickSilver™ Powdered Buffer Packs

QuickSilver&trade; Powdered Buffer Packs by Accuris Instruments are pre-measured single-use powder pouches that dissolve in 1 liter of water to produce fresh, pH-correct, nuclease- and protease-free 1X laboratory buffer instantly — no weighing, no stock dilution, no pH adjustment. Available in six variants: TAE (EB1000), TBE (EB1100), PBS (EB1200), TBS (EB1201), TBST (EB1202), and TE (EB1203).

Prestained Protein Ladders

<h2>What are prestained protein ladders?</h2>
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Prestained protein ladders are protein molecular weight standards in which each protein band carries a covalent colored dye, typically coupling most bands in blue with two specifically colored bands, often green around 25 kDa and red around 75 kDa, that serve as easily visible reference anchors for quick orientation. Because the dye is visible without staining, the ladder is used to monitor protein migration in real time during SDS-PAGE and, critically, to verify that protein bands have transferred from the gel to the PVDF, nitrocellulose, or nylon membrane before antibody incubation in western blotting.
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<h2 dir="ltr">What you will find:</h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">PureView&trade; Prestained Protein Ladder for clear visualization of&nbsp; bands in SDS-PAGE</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">SmartCheck&trade; Tri-color Extended Range Plus Protein Marker for broad coverage of protein size&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Opti-Protein Marker for accurate molecular weight estimation of proteins</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Opti-Protein XL Marker for wider range analysis of proteins&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Opti-Protein Ultra Marker for efficient protein separation workflows</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How to use prestained protein ladders</h2>
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Load prestained ladders directly from the tube without preparation
Most modern prestained protein ladders are supplied in gel loading buffer and are ready to load directly without heating, dilution, or addition of reducing agent, since modifying the formulation can cause dye dissociation or protein aggregation. Following the manufacturer's specific note about preparation avoids introducing variability.
Confirm the ladder's kDa range brackets your target protein's expected molecular weight
Match your target protein's expected size to the ladder's coverage: a mid-range ladder (10&ndash;180 kDa) suits most antibody targets in typical western blot experiments, while a broad-range (10&ndash;245 kDa) or extra-broad (3.5&ndash;260 kDa) ladder is needed when the target protein is very large.
Use the colored reference bands for quick gel and blot orientation
Colored reference bands at fixed kDa positions, typically green at 25 kDa and red at 75 kDa, allow you to orient the ladder pattern on the gel or membrane at a glance without counting all bands from the well, making it fast to identify the bands bracketing your target protein.
Check the manufacturer's MW table calibrated for your specific SDS-PAGE buffer system
Pre-stained ladder proteins have apparent molecular weights that differ depending on the SDS-PAGE buffer system used, such as Tris-Glycine versus Bis-Tris MOPS or MES, because the buffer's pH and composition affect SDS binding and protein charge. Using the manufacturer's annotated molecular weight values calibrated for your specific buffer gives more accurate sizing than a generic table.
Verify western blot transfer by confirming the prestained bands are visible on the membrane
After transfer, all or most prestained ladder bands should be visible on the blot membrane; missing or faint bands in a particular region indicate incomplete transfer in that molecular weight zone, guiding troubleshooting before antibody incubation and detection.
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<h2>Specifications context</h2>
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Prestained protein ladders are loaded at approximately 3&ndash;5 &micro;l per lane for gel visualization during SDS-PAGE, or at 1.5&ndash;2.5 &micro;l per lane for western blot transfer, since less ladder per lane is needed for adequate band visibility on the membrane than for gel visualization. As of 2026, ready-to-load prestained protein ladder formats supplied pre-formulated in SDS-PAGE loading buffer that require no heating, dilution, or reducing agent remain the dominant format for routine SDS-PAGE and western blotting, since preparation-free direct loading eliminates one class of user handling errors.
<a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">Contact the helpful team at Molecular Biology Products Inc. (MBP)</a> and find the best prestained protein ladders for your next experiment.

SmartCheck™ Tri-color Extended Range Plus Protein Marker, 13 bands 9-245 kDA, 2x250µl

SmartCheck™ Tri-color Extended Range Plus Protein Marker, 13 bands 9-245 kDA, 2x250ul

SmartCheck™ Tri-color Extended Range Plus Protein Marker (PR5013-TC) by MBP is a pre-stained, ready-to-use SDS-PAGE protein size standard with 13 bands, 9&ndash;245 kDa, and three colors for enhanced reference points. Load 5 &mu;l per lane; no preparation needed. Supplied as 2&times;250 &mu;l (100 lanes). Store at &minus;20&deg;C.

Loading Dye

<h2>What is gel loading dye?</h2>
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Gel loading dye, also called sample loading buffer or tracking dye, is a concentrated solution mixed with a DNA, RNA, or protein sample immediately before it is loaded into a gel well. It serves two essential functions: the density agent, typically glycerol at 30&ndash;60% or Ficoll, makes the sample denser than the running buffer so it sinks to the well bottom rather than diffusing back out; and the tracking dyes, most commonly bromophenol blue and xylene cyanol FF, provide visible colored bands that co-migrate at defined, approximate DNA equivalent sizes to allow the researcher to monitor migration progress and estimate when to stop the run.
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<h2 dir="ltr">What you will find:</h2>
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<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" aria-level="1">
Azura SmartStain Loading Dye for the same preparation and loading
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" aria-level="1">
Safe-Red loading dye for visualization of nucleic acids in electrophoresis workflows
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" aria-level="1">
Safe-Green loading dye for gel analysis and DNA tracking applications
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" aria-level="1">
SmartGlow&trade; Loading Dye with Safe Green Stain for visualization and integrated sample loading
</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How to choose and use gel loading dye</h2>
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Use 6X loading dye at 1/6 volume of total sample volume
Most gel loading dyes are formulated as 6X concentrates so that adding one part loading dye to five parts sample brings the total volume to the final working concentration. For a 10 &micro;l final load, add 2 &micro;l of 6X loading dye to 8 &micro;l of DNA or RNA sample and mix well before loading.
Choose tracking dye colors that won't obscure your expected DNA band sizes
Bromophenol blue co-migrates with approximately 300&ndash;370 bp in a 1% TAE agarose gel, while xylene cyanol co-migrates with approximately 3,000&ndash;4,000 bp in the same conditions. If your samples are expected near those sizes, using a loading dye that includes orange G instead, which co-migrates below 50 bp, avoids masking bands with the tracking dye front.
Confirm EDTA is included if nuclease protection matters for your samples
A standard 6X loading dye contains 60 mM EDTA, which chelates divalent metal ions that nucleases require for activity, providing protection against DNA degradation during sample preparation and the gel run. If your protocol requires EDTA-free loading buffer, confirm the dye formulation before use.
For RNA samples, ensure your loading dye is RNase-free
RNase contamination in loading dye can degrade RNA samples during preparation before loading, so RNA gel experiments require either RNase-free certified loading dye or dye preparation from RNase-free reagents. Using the same nuclease-free water and handling precautions for loading dye as for the RNA samples themselves is standard practice.
Be aware that SDS-containing loading buffers for protein SDS-PAGE differ from nucleic acid loading dyes
SDS-PAGE protein loading buffers contain SDS, dithiothreitol or beta-mercaptoethanol as a reducing agent, and glycerol, which are specifically required for protein denaturation and separation under SDS conditions, whereas nucleic acid loading dyes contain no SDS or reducing agents. The two formulations are not interchangeable.
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<h2>Specifications context</h2>
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A standard 6X DNA loading dye formulation typically contains 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.6), 0.03% bromophenol blue, 0.03% xylene cyanol FF, 60% glycerol, and 60 mM EDTA, making it compatible with both TAE and TBE running buffers. As of 2026, ready-to-use loading dyes pre-mixed as part of ready-to-load DNA ladder products remain popular for eliminating the need for a separate mixing step before gel load
<a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">Contact the expert team at MBP</a> to obtain high-quality DNA loading dyes for your research workflows.

SmartGlow™ Loading Dye with Safe Green Stain, 1.0ml

SmartGlow™ Loading Dye with Safe Green Stain (E4500-LD) by MBP is a ready-to-use 1.0 ml DNA loading dye with a pre-mixed safe green fluorescent stain for simultaneous loading and staining in agarose gel electrophoresis. Non-mutagenic EtBr alternative. No post-run staining required. Compatible with blue-light transilluminators.

Pre-Stain/Casting

<h2>What is pre-stain/casting in gel electrophoresis?</h2>
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Pre-staining is the practice of incorporating a fluorescent DNA-intercalating dye into molten agarose before it is poured into the gel tray and allowed to solidify, so that when DNA migrates through the gel under the electric field, bands become fluorescent as the DNA molecules bind dye molecules pre-distributed throughout the matrix. This approach allows bands to be monitored by UV or blue-light visualization during the run and eliminates the separate post-run soaking step that post-staining requires.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">What you will find:</h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" aria-level="1">
Azura SmartStain Pre-Stain for visualization of DNA during gel casting
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" aria-level="1">
SmartGlow&trade; Safe Green Pre-Stain for DNA/RNA detection in gels
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" aria-level="1">
BlinkBlue&reg; SDS-PAGE Staining Buffer for gel analysis of proteins
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" aria-level="1">
SafeView Classic gel stain for day-to-day nucleic acids visualization during electrophoresis
</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How to choose and use pre-cast gel stains</h2>
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Add ethidium bromide at the standard concentration when safety constraints allow
Ethidium bromide, the classic pre-cast stain, is typically added to cooled, molten agarose at approximately 0.5 &micro;g/ml before pouring, providing excellent sensitivity with standard UV transilluminator imaging. Its mutagenicity requires standard handling precautions and specific waste disposal practices.
Substitute GelRed or SYBR Safe for a safer pre-cast stain option
GelRed and SYBR Safe can both be incorporated into molten agarose before casting as direct ethidium bromide substitutes at the manufacturer's recommended working concentrations, using standard UV (GelRed) or UV/blue light (SYBR Safe) for visualization on the same equipment.
Be aware that GelRed precast gels can affect DNA migration in some samples
GelRed's larger molecular size means it can cause abnormal band migration in precast gels for some samples, notably restriction digest products, compared with ethidium bromide precast gels, and this is why GelRed is specifically recommended for post-staining rather than pre-casting when migration accuracy matters most.
Cool agarose to approximately 55&ndash;60&deg;C before adding heat-sensitive staining reagents
Some intercalating dyes degrade or lose activity at the temperatures used to keep agarose liquid for pouring, and adding stain only after the agarose has cooled to approximately 55&ndash;60&deg;C, just before pouring, ensures consistent staining without heat-induced dye degradation.
Use blue-light gel imaging for downstream DNA recovery from pre-stained gels
If DNA will be excised from a pre-stained gel for downstream use, UV light should be minimized during excision because UV irradiation can introduce pyrimidine dimers and other photodamage that reduces downstream enzymatic efficiency. GelRed and SYBR Safe pre-cast gels can be imaged with a blue or amber light system to avoid this damage.
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<h2>Specifications context</h2>
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When ethidium bromide is used as a pre-cast stain, the positively charged EtBr molecules migrate toward the negative electrode during electrophoresis, moving out of the gel over time into the running buffer, which means the gel is effectively self-destaining during the run and background is reduced without a separate destaining step. As of 2026, EtBr-free labs most commonly use GelRed in post-staining applications for its superior sensitivity, while SYBR Safe is widely used as a pre-cast stain in labs that prioritize downstream DNA compatibility and blue-light gel excision.
<a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">Contact the expert team at MBP</a> to get the right pre-staining/casting solutions for your lab.

SmartGlow™ Safe Green Pre Stain, 1.0ml

SmartGlow™ Safe Green Pre Stain (E4500-PS) by MBP is a non-mutagenic 1.0 ml fluorescent DNA gel stain added to molten agarose before casting. Provides uniform gel staining without post-run destaining. Compatible with blue-light transilluminators. Safe EtBr alternative for standard agarose gel electrophoresis.