Gel electrophoresis instruments are used to separate nucleic acids and proteins based on their size and charge. Used in forensic, molecular biology, genetics, and microbiology labs, gel electrophoresis instruments are used to run and compare DNA samples. The two basic types of gel electrophoresis instruments available are horizontal and vertical. With the horizontal gel electrophoresis instrument, the sample is placed in wells on one side of the gel and is moved with an electric current toward the other side. The vertical version works in a similar manner, except the samples are loaded into the top and move toward the bottom.
Vertical gel electrophoresis instruments can resolve smaller fragments of DNA and accommodate larger sample sizes than horizontal instruments. Other things one may need to consider when choosing a gel electrophoresis instrument are the number and capacity of wells and if it has timed and/or untimed programs.
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