Collection: Transilluminators

Transillumination is a technique where light is passed through a sample, making it visible against a dark background. In the context of molecular biology and biochemistry, transilluminators are specifically designed to illuminate samples containing fluorescent molecules. Our transilluminators are primarily used for visualizing nucleic acids and proteins that have been separated by gel electrophoresis.

Transilluminators typically consist of the following components:

Light Source

They utilize a strong light source, often UV (ultraviolet) or blue light, which is necessary for the excitation of fluorescent molecules.

Filter

A filter is used to select the appropriate wavelength of light for excitation. UV transilluminators typically use a short-wavelength UV filter (around 254 nm) to excite nucleic acids stained with dyes like ethidium bromide or DyeNA View-HB. LED transilluminators use LEDs to excite samples stained with dyes like DyeNA View or RedSafe.

Dark Chamber

The transilluminator often sits inside a dark chamber to minimize external light interference and enhance the visibility of the sample.

Our transilluminators are commonly used in:

Gel Electrophoresis Visualization: Transilluminators are primarily used to visualize nucleic acids and proteins separated by gel electrophoresis. After running a gel, researchers stain the nucleic acids or proteins with specific dyes that fluoresce under UV or LED light. The transilluminator then allows researchers to observe and document the bands corresponding to the separated molecules.

DNA Analysis: They are commonly used in DNA analysis techniques such as agarose gel electrophoresis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Researchers use transilluminators to visualize DNA fragments, PCR products, plasmids, and DNA markers.

Protein Analysis: In addition to nucleic acids, transilluminators can also be used to visualize proteins separated by techniques like SDS-PAGE. Fluorescently labeled proteins can also be detected using transillumination after gel electrophoresis.

Documentation: Transilluminators are often equipped with a camera or can be connected to a camera for documentation purposes. This allows researchers to capture images of gels for record-keeping, analysis, and publication.

Quality Control: Transillumination is also used for quality control purposes, such as verifying the success of a PCR reaction or confirming the presence and size of DNA fragments.

Use our Transilluminator Selection Guide to find the best transilluminator for your lab and learn more about each technology below:

Transilluminator Brochure