Agarose gel electrophoresis of 1 kb and 100 bp DNA ladders using the EMBER™ Ultra DNA Gel Kit compared to post-staining with SYBR® Gold. Five-fold serial dilutions of 1 kb DNA ladder or 100 bp DNA Ladder from 200 ng to 0.8 ng per well were separated on 1% agarose/1X TBE gels. EMBER™ Ultra DNA Loading Buffer was used to load samples on EMBER™ Ultra Agarose, or 6X DNA Loading Buffer (Blue) was used to load samples on Agarose LE without fluorescent dye. The EMBER™ Ultra gel was imaged immediately after electrophoresis, while the other gel was stained for 30 minutes with 1X SYBR® Gold in 1X TBE and then imaged. Gels were imaged on a Safe Imager™ 2.0 Blue-Light Transilluminator. EMBER™ Ultra was roughly five times more sensitive than SYBR® Gold with improved band resolution, without the need for a time-consuming post-staining step. Bands containing 1 ng of 1.5 kb and 100 bp DNA are boxed. EMBER™ Ultra detected as little as 0.05 ng DNA (boxed).
Biotium’s EMBER™ Ultra DNA & RNA Gel Kits for nucleic acid gel electrophoresis offer leading-edge sensitivity for precious or difficult samples with convenience and speed. Built on a pre-coated agarose gel system, both the DNA and RNA kits eliminate the need for time-consuming post-electrophoresis staining so you can visualize bands immediately after a run without extra steps.
Ultra-Sensitive Detection
- Superior sensitivity: Detect ≤1 ng DNA per band or ≤5 µg total cellular RNA
- Easy-to-use: Available as pre-coated agarose format
- Image immediately: No need for post-electrophoresis staining
- Versatile: Optimal for blue LED gel imagers, UV imager compatible
- No buffer restrictions: Use the electrophoresis buffer of your choice
The high sensitivity makes both kits ideal for analyzing precious DNA or RNA samples, or if weak bands are expected.
Streamlined Workflow
Rather than requiring staining after electrophoresis, EMBER™ Ultra kits use agarose pre-coated with Biotium’s fluorescent dye, allowing you to:
- Skip post-stain washes and incubation steps
- Image gels immediately after electrophoresis
This simpler workflow reduces hands-on time and speeds up your overall process, especially helpful in high-throughput labs or time-sensitive experiments.
Broad Compatibility & Imaging Flexibility
Comparison of EMBER™ Ultra RNA Gel (left) with 1% agarose gel post-stained with SYBR® Gold. NEB ssRNA Ladder was denatured at 70°C for 10 minutes in EMBER™ Ultra RNA Loading Dye (for EMBER™ gel) or NEB RNA Loading Dye (for SYBR® Gel) and run on 1% agarose/1X TBE gels. EMBER® Ultra Gel was imaged immediately after electrophoresis, while the other gel was post-stained in 1X SYBR® Gold/1X TBE for 30 minutes. Gels were imaged on Biotium's Gel-Bright™ Laser Diode Gel Illuminator. The EMBER Ultra® RNA Gel Kit offers superior resolution compared to SYBR® Gold, without a time-consuming post-staining step.
Both kits are designed to work seamlessly with:
- Blue LED gel imagers (optimal for bright signal)
- UV transilluminators (with appropriate filters)
This flexibility lets you use the imaging systems already available in your lab without needing specialized equipment.
What’s in the Kits
Each kit includes:
- EMBER™ Ultra Pre-coated Agarose
- EMBER™ Ultra Loading Dye
Why Choose EMBER™ Ultra
- Enhanced sensitivity: Detect very low levels of nucleic acids that traditional stains often miss
- Faster results: Immediate imaging post electrophoresis keeps workflows moving
- Clear, sharp bands: High signal-to-noise and band definition
- Quality control: Particularly for RNA, the system helps assess total integrity and reveal DNA contaminants
In summary, EMBER™ Ultra DNA & RNA Gel Kits combine maximum sensitivity, simplified workflows, and flexibility to give researchers faster, more dependable gel results, especially when working with limited sample amounts or weak signals.
Product Specifications:
| Specification | Value |
| Assay type/options | RNA gel staining, DNA gel staining |
| Storage conditions | Components have different storage temperatures, open kit on receipt. |
SYBR is a registered trademark of Thermo Fisher Scientific.
