In article <5r33l8$1mb at net.bio.net>, L.T.Hollingsworth,
hollingsworth at immunex.com wrote:
> Our 373 stretch has developed a background problem on the gel image On
> the last two gels run
> we're seeing a significant light blue streaking and a yellow grainy
> background on the gel image.
> The plate check is a flat line.
>> Fortunately the data can be analysed and looks clean. But it's very
> difficult to check the
> tracking as the tracking lines are so similar in color to
> this streaking.
>> The machine had its annual maintainence two days before the problem
> developed. We had two
> clean gels before the last two with the streaking.
>> Has anyone had this problem and found a fix? Changing the gel
> contrast helps alittle.
> Thanks,
>> Tamy Hollingsworth
Tamy,
Just curious - what kind of gel mix are you using?
We have come to the conclusion that the blue streaks are lint and we use
cans of compressed air to clear the plates of them.
The yellow grainy background we see usually on our 377's when the plate is
not in line due to a piece of acrylamide or something. One time our laser
itself needed to be aligned, but I am told that is rare (and that would be
a consistent, day to day occurence. Strangely, we have never seen this
problem on our 373's, only on our 377's.
Michele Godlevski
Glaxo Wellcome Sequencing Core Facility
