Reused Electroporation Cuvettes?

[szcooley at chip.ucdavis.edu]

Dick Vogt (vogt at tbone.biol.scarolina.edu) wrote:
: gchacko at magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (George W Chacko) writes:


: >We have a BTX electroporator and I wondert if anyone has tried
: >re-using the cuvettes for it? I'd be most grateful to hear of your
: >experiences. 

: They blow up.  This is very exciting.  Kind of ruins your experiment.

: Actually, this is true, but also, I have reused cuvettes.  As soon as you 
: finish using them, wash them thoroughly with clean water, and let them 
: try.  Probably best not to use ethanol on them.  They really do expload 
: (actually, just arc an a rather noisy way and pop the cap off; this is so 
: startling that it is very difficult for me to electroporate now without 
: covering my ears and closing my eyes, but I've always been leary of 
: blowing up baloons.)  A good reason not to reuse cuvettes is that you 
: will contaminate your next transfection with plasmid from your previous 
: transfection; at low level but it will likely be there.
: -- 
: Richard Vogt (Internet: vogt at biol.scarolina.edu) (803) 777-8998
: Department of Biology, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC 29208


I don't use the BTX electroporator, but reuse the BioRad cuvettes by 
first rinsing with water, then 1 hr in 30% HNO3 to hydrolyse any residual 
DNA, wash again with water, then fill with 95% EtOH overnight, empty and 
dry under vacuum.


#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%
%                                                        #
#   Dr. Michael Cooley         Practice Random Kindness  %
%   mbcooley at ucdavis.edu    and Senseless Acts of Beauty #
#                                                        %
%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#%#