Can you "fix" agarose gels?

[Rod Snowdon]

> In article <dan_settles-0902951703170001 at bongo.cellbio.duke.edu>, 
dan_settles at cellbio.duke.edu (Dan Settles) wrote:

> I was wondering if anyone knows of a method for fixing DNA in an agaose
> gel so you can look at it and photograph the gel a day or two after
> running it?  Thanks for any help.
> Dan Settles
 

I've discovered that just leaving your gel in a plastic bag at 4 degC keeps 
the DNA OK for a few days and perhaps at least a week.  Big DNA 
fragments don't seem to diffuse at all and smaller DNA very 
little.  In 0.8 - 1% TAE and TBE gels I've Southern blotted a couple of 
days to a week after running the gel with no reduction in sharpness of 
bands down to at least 1kb.  Also works for Northern blots and I've done 
the same overnight with RAPD gels without problems.  Try it!

Snowy