The traditional method for performing gel electrophoresis experiments requires several pieces of equipment, such as a power supply, a staining apparatus, a UV light source and a camera. However, integrated gel electrophoresis systems combine many of these accessories into one compact unit. These integrated systems accept pre-cast gels, which can be purchased from the system manufacturer. Many of the units allow scientists to pre-set the experiment run time, and some can even display the gel progression in real time.

The benefits of an integrated electrophoresis system over traditional methods are significant. Foremost, since many of the steps are automated, user error and sample contamination are reduced. In addition, these systems typically take up less lab space. Because many of these integrated systems accept pre-cast gels or gel cartridges, end-users save the time and reagent cost associated with preparing agarose gel slabs. Although system cost can be a drawback, the cost savings of using fewer reagents and faster analysis times allow end-users to run more samples per day, providing a better financial return in the long run.

Only a handful of vendors offer automated integrated electrophoresis systems. The CyFox from Partec can be used for applications in pathology, cancer research, food and beverage analysis, and biopharmaceutical research. In addition to automating the gel electrophoresis process, the system integrates a CMOS camera, which allows real-time monitoring of the gel and eliminates the need for additional imaging equipment. Partec also offers a wide array of reagents designed for specific applications, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV.

Life Technologies’ E-Gel products come in a variety of configurations depending on throughput requirements. The E-Gel products use Life Technologies’ pre-cast agarose gels, which come in different agarose concentrations and throughput formats of up to 96-well plates. E-Gel systems include the low-throughput E-Gel Go system, which is designed for a quick-check analysis; the standard E-Gel Agarose System; and the high-throughput model that accepts the company’s pre-cast agarose gels in 48- and 96-well formats.

Interlab and Sage Science also offer integrated gel electrophoresis solutions. Interlab offers the G26 and Microgel. The newer Microgel integrates a robotic arm and can accommodate up to eight gels, each capable of testing up to 26 samples. Sage Science’s Pippin Prep system features gel cartridges with individual sample channels. It is capable of separating DNA with sample sizes between 50 bp and 8 kb with run times of 50–100 minutes.

The market for integrated gel electrophoresis systems is less than $25 million and burgeoning, as scientists continue to discover the benefits of the technology. As high-throughput systems become more prominent, applications in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research are expected to fuel market growth.

Integrated Electrophoresis

Systems at a Glance:

Leading Suppliers

• Life Technologies

• Partec

• Sage Science

Largest Markets

• Academia

• Government

• Biotechnology

Instrument Cost

• $500–$15,000