Ethidium Bromide -Vapors!!!

[D.Schnapp]

Sure, I'll always do it in the correct way if possible, but I have been
known to forget to pour the gel and having to re-melt the agarose :} ...
Also, some people wonder about re-using agarose trimmings.

Cheers,

Denni


On Thu, 23 Sep 1999, Leman wrote:

> On 23 Sep 1999 13:14:27 -0700, amherrera at CIGB.EDU.CU ("Antonieta
> Herrera") wrote:
> 
> > I always melt agorose/TA+Ethidium in a microwave oven. Uhmm a 
> >lot of steam!! I would like to know how toxic is the emanated 
> >steam. The oven is outside of the lab air extractor.Is that correct?
> 
> I don't know about the EtBr vapor, but I don't see any good reason to
> melt agarose with EtBr added. First of all, you greatly increase the
> chances of spilling it all over the place in case of overboiling.
> Second, you destroy part of EtBr by boiling. And third -- what stops
> you from doing it the right way and adding EtBr after agarose cools
> down to 55C? This way you can melt your agarose in your kitchen
> microwave and not worry about any EtBr toxicity.
> 
> 	Leman
> 

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Denni Schnapp
Dept. of Paediatric Gastroenterology
St. Bartholomew Hospital
Dominion House						Phone:(0)171/6018469
59 Bartholomew Close					Fax:  (0)171/6005901
London EC1A 7BE			http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_sa/personal/ds4/
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