Atlas ClearSight DNA Stain

*1 ml of Atlas ClearSight DNA Stain is sufficient for 17 – 25 L of agarose gel.

Atlas ClearSight DNA Stain is a new,  non-carcinogenic,  sensitive and convenient stain to  use instead of  highly carcinogenic ethidium bromide stain (EtBr) for detecting nucleic acid in agarose gels (Figure 1).  It has two secondary fluorescence excitation peaks (~270 nm; ~295 nm) and one strong excitation peak centered around 490 nm. The fluorescence emission is similar to EtBr when bound to DNA – at ~ 530 nm.

Figure 1. Agarose gels, stained by Atlas ClearSight DNA Stain (A and B).
 
PROTOCOL:
Precasting: Prepare 100 ml of agarose gel solution (concentration from 0.8-3.0%) and heat until the solution is completely clear and no small floating particles are visible. Add 4-6 µl of Atlas ClearSight DNA Stain to the cooled gel solution (60-70ºC), mix it gently and pour into the gel tray (for higher sensitivity, the gel should be less than 0.5 cm thick). When the gel is solid, load the samples and perform electrophoresis. Detect the bands under UV ( yellow or green gelatin or cellophane filters, preferably).
Note: Repeated melting of gels containing Atlas ClearSight DNA Stain may result in low sensitivity.
Poststaining: For <0.5 cm thick agarose gel, 10-25 ul of the stain should be used per 100 ml of buffer. Optimal staining time (5 – 60 minutes) and the amount of the stain may depend on the thickness of the gel and the percentage of agarose.
Note: The Atlas ClearSight poststaining solution may be used 2-3 times. Staining solution to be reused should be preferably stored at room temperature in the dark.
Storage conditions: Store at +4°C, protected from light.