What can be used instead of EtBr?

Ethidium Bromide: The Alternatives

  • Ethidium Bromide. The classic DNA stain.
  • Crystal Violet. Crystal violet intercalates into DNA in a similar manner to ethidium bromide but is less mutagenic.
  • SYBR Safe. SYBR safe is a commercial DNA stain manufactured by Invitrogen.
  • Gel Red.

Is GelRed safer than ethidium bromide?

GelRedTM is clearly known to be safer to use than EtBr, but it also has an equal (if not better) level of sensitivity, excels in disposal ease, but does come up short when it comes to cost.

Is GelRed cheaper than ethidium bromide?

Biotium Inc. GelRed is more expensive than ethidium bromide but something to consider when doing a cost comparison is some labs may be able to save on hazardous waste disposal costs (as well as the time and hassle of decontaminating electrophoresis buffers) by switching from EtBr to GelRed.

Why is ethidium bromide not used?

Because ethidium bromide can bind with DNA, it is highly toxic as a mutagen. It may potentially cause carcinogenic or teratogenic effects, although no scientific evidence showing either health effect has been found. Exposure routes of ethidium bromide are inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption.

Is SYBR Green safer than ethidium bromide?

SYBR Safe DNA Gel Stain was specifically developed as a safer alternative to ethidium bromide. Invitrogen SYBR Green I Nucleic Acid Gel Stain is an ultrasensitive stain for dsDNA, and Invitrogen SYBR Green II RNA Gel Stain is a highly sensitive stain for RNA and ssDNA.

What are the other types of safe stains that can be used instead of ethidium bromide in gel electrophoresis?

Methylene Blue, Crystal Violet, and SYBR safe are three other stains besides Ethidium Bromide and Gel Red.

Why is GelRed safer?

GelRed® and GelGreen® were designed specifically to be cell membrane impermeable, and therefore non-toxic and non-mutagenic. They are classified as non-hazardous waste under California Title 22. In addition, they offer higher sensitivity and low background compared to competing gel stains.

How harmful is EtBr?

EtBr is a potent mutagen (may cause genetic damage), and moderately toxic after an acute exposure. EtBr can be absorbed through skin, so it is important to avoid any direct contact with the chemical. EtBr is an irritant to the skin, eyes, mouth, and upper respiratory tract.

How much EtBr is toxic?

To put this further into context, EtBr is less toxic than salicylates (e.g., aspirin) and caffeine, which cause severe toxicity at serum concentrations of >750 mg/L [16] and >80 mg/L, [17,18] respectively.

What can be a substitute for SYBR Green?

EvaGreen is another DNA dye which is less inhibitory to PCR than SYBR Green and is marketed as an alternative [12].

What is the difference between ethidium bromide and SYBR Green stain?

Ethidium bromide (EtBr) and SYBR Green I are nucleic acid gel stains and used commonly in combination with UV-illumination. EtBr preferentially induces frameshift mutations but only in the presence of an exogenous metabolic activation system, while SYBR Green I is a very weak mutagen that induces frameshift mutations.

Is GelRed toxic?

What is the best alternative to EtBr?

Our lab uses EZ-vision which is a product available through Amresco. Our gels have very bright and crisp bands using this instead of EtBr. This is a much safer alternative to EtBr. If you would like more information about the product, the link should help you out.

What is the difference between EtBr and GelRed?

2/ GelRed is more sensitive than EtBr so we can use it more diluted, but the longevity of the staining bath decreases rapidly if there are many users in the laboratory. So try to find a compromise between security price and sensitivity. Cite 1 Recommendation 18th Apr, 2014 Carolina Sempertegui Truman State University I really like GelRed.

What is the best alternative for EthBr DNA stain?

Yes, Gel red and SYBR Safe DNA stain are the best options Cite 1 Recommendation 16th Apr, 2014 Abdelmalik Ibrahim Khalafalla Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) Hi Tan, 1st Base (www.base-asia.com), Malaysia Produces FloroSafe DNA Stain that replaces EthBr, it worked well. Cite 2 Recommendations 16th Apr, 2014