Drying of PAGE gels - Cellophane

[Virginia Dress]

In article <2nf2p7$ghd at senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, alfken at athena.mit.edu
(Jens Alfken) wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> We are drying a lot of PAGE gels wrapped in cellophane. The 
> cellophane we buy currently from BioRad and it is imho very
> expensive. So I went to the local arts supply shop and bought
> a large roll of cellophane for a fraction of the price. Unfortunately
> the stuff doesn`t work ! It is impossible to prewet with water
> (would MeOH/water make a difference ? just a thought). And when
> used the way it is the gel won't dry. It seems the stuff is 
> waterimpermeable.
(stuff deleted)

> I guess someone, somewhere must have looked for a replacement 
> for the expensive Biotech companies stuff. So what do I have to
> look for ? Any comments wellcome.
> 
> Jens Alfken
> alfken at athena.mit.edu

We got a gigantic (5lb roll) of cellophane that we use for drying down
gels.
It lasted from 1990 through all of 1993.  We paid $6.25 for the roll
($1.25/lb).
Here's the vendor info:
				                     FLEXEL, Inc
																									US Highway, 136 West
                         Covington, Indiana  47932

																									Cat. #  505848 put-76 untreated 
                                     cellophane, type 128

                         Sorry, no phone number

We soak the cellophane in 10% acetic acid and 20% Ethanol.  I've never
tried
soaking it in water.  I'm sure the destain for the gel would also work to
wet
the cellophane.


Good luck,
					Virginia