Description
GelRed™ Nucleic Acid Gel Stain (Water-Based, 10,000X) is a next-generation fluorescent dye for sensitive, safe visualization of DNA and RNA in agarose or polyacrylamide gels.
Designed as a non-mutagenic, non-toxic alternative to ethidium bromide, GelRed™ delivers sharper bands and higher sensitivity, all while reducing lab safety risks. A series of safety tests have confirmed that GelRed™ is noncytotoxic, nonmutagenic and nonhazardous at concentrations well above the working concentrations used in gel staining. As a result, GelRed™ can be safely disposed of down the drain or in regular trash, providing convenience and reducing cost in waste disposal.
Its water-based formulation simplifies storage and handling, and its compatibility with both UV and blue-light transilluminators makes it ideal for downstream applications like cloning and sequencing.
Whether you're validating PCR products or working with low-abundance DNA, GelRed™ provides robust results in research and educational labs
GelRed™ 10,000X solution in water is the latest formulation that eliminates the hazards of handling DMSO for better safety. We also carry GelRed™ 10,000X solution in DMSO (Catalog # G-720), for the established users of GelRed™ in DMSO, who do not wish to change their laboratory protocols. The performance and stability of GelRed™ 10,000X is comparable in both the water and DMSO formulations.
Note: G-725-1 and G-725-2 will ship in 500 µL aliquots.
GelRed™ and its uses are covered by US patent numbers 7960498, 7803943, and 8232050. SYBR is trademark of Molecular Probes, Inc.
Common research applications using GelRed™
(Click each for more information)
DNA Visualization in Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
- Purpose: Detect and visualize DNA bands after gel electrophoresis.
- How It Works: GelRed™ intercalates between DNA base pairs and fluoresces under UV or blue light. It offers higher sensitivity than ethidium bromide while being non-toxic and non-mutagenic.
- Applications: PCR product verification, genotyping, restriction digestion analysis.
Huang, Q., Baum, L., & Fu, W.-L. (2010). Simple and practical staining of DNA with GelRed™ in agarose gel electrophoresis. Clinical Laboratory, 56(3–4), 149–152.
RNA Visualization and Integrity Assessment
- Purpose: Assess RNA quality by visualizing rRNA bands.
- How It Works: GelRed™, though optimized for DNA, can bind and fluorescently label RNA under non-denaturing conditions, allowing researchers to check RNA integrity.
- Applications: RNA QC prior to RT-qPCR, RNA-seq, Northern blotting.
Safer Alternative to Ethidium Bromide in Laboratory Workflows
- Purpose: Eliminate mutagenic and hazardous exposure in routine gel staining.
- How It Works: GelRed™ is cell membrane–impermeant and non-mutagenic, designed for safer use without compromising performance.
- Applications: Routine DNA staining in academic, biotech, clinical, and teaching labs.
Haines, A. M., Tobe, S. S., Kobus, H. J., & Linacre, A. T. (2015). Properties of nucleic acid staining dyes used in gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis, 36(3), 518–528.
Use in Blue-Light Imaging Systems for DNA Recovery
- Purpose: Excise DNA bands from gels without UV-induced damage.
- How It Works: Blue-light imaging reduces photodamage compared to UV exposure. GelRed™, compatible with blue-light transilluminators, helps preserve DNA integrity for sensitive downstream workflows.
- Applications: Cloning, ligation, transformation, or sequencing after gel recovery.
Sharafi, S., & Adrangi, S. (2019). Replacing UV with blue light during DNA purification increases the efficiency of ligation-independent cloning. Trends in Peptide & Protein Sciences, 3, 1–8.
High-Sensitivity Detection of Low-Abundance DNA
- Purpose: Detect nanogram or sub-nanogram levels of DNA in low-yield samples.
- How It Works: GelRed™’s high quantum yield and strong intercalating properties enable detection of faint DNA bands beyond the capability of ethidium bromide.
- Applications: Forensic analysis, low-input PCR, ancient DNA, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling.
Haines, A. M., Tobe, S. S., Kobus, H. J., & Linacre, A. T. (2015). Properties of nucleic acid staining dyes used in gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis, 36(3), 518–528.
Benefits
- Improved Safety: GelRed™ eliminates the mutagenic risks of ethidium bromide while providing equal or better performance.
- Versatility: Compatible with both UV and blue-light systems, supporting flexible gel documentation setups.
- High Sensitivity: Enables detection of trace DNA amounts for applications such as forensic or environmental DNA.
- DNA Integrity Preservation: Use with blue-light imaging reduces DNA shearing, supporting more successful downstream cloning or sequencing.
- Water-Based Formulation: Easier to handle and safer than DMSO formulations, improving lab safety protocols.
Features
- Safer than Ethidum Bromide
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Shown by the Ames test and other tests to be nonmutagenic and noncytotoxic
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Passed environmental safety tests for direct disposal down the drain or in regular trash
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Higher sensitivity than EtBr and SYBR® Safe
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Available in water, stable at room temperature for long-term storage and microwavable
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Very simple procedures for precast or post-electrophoresis gel staining
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- Compatible with a standard UV transilluminator
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Replaces EtBr with no optical setting change
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- Compatible with downstream applications
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Compatible with gel purification, restriction digest, sequencing and cloning
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Storage/Handling
Store at room temperature. Protect from light.
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