Agarose Gel Electrophoresis v1

Agarose gel electrophoresis is a very common method used to analyze the results of a PCR or any DNA sample in general. It can also be used to purify DNA by gel extraction methods. The underlying principle of gel electrophoresis is that DNA strands of different lengths travel with different speeds through a gel material, when a electrical current is applied. Based on this, it becomes possible to separate DNA in a sample based on the length of the strands and thus access which DNA fragments are present in a sample. The gel material commonly used for dsDNA analysis is agarose powder, dissolved in TAE buffer. The percentage of agarose for optimal spearation depends on the expected length of the samples: it is lower for larger fragments and higher for shorter ones. This protocol describes the fabrication of a X% agarose gel and the run of an agarose gel electrophoresis on a DNA sample.