Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments

Chapter 15. Build a Gel Electrophoresis Apparatus

Equipment and Materials

You’ll need the following items to complete this lab session. (The standard kit for this book, available from www.thehomescientist.com, includes the items listed in the first group.)

Materials from Kit

• Leads, alligator clip (2)

• Ruler

Materials You Provide

• Aluminum foil

• Batteries, 9V transistor (5, 7, or 9)

• Gel casting comb materials (see text)

• Marking pen (Sharpie or similar)

• Plastic containers (see text)

• Scissors

• Tape (electrical or masking)

Background

There’s a time-honored custom in science: we scientists build our own apparatus. Not always, of course, nor even most of the time. Nowadays, anyway. Sometimes it’s cheaper, easier, and faster just to buy what we need. But when we need ...