DNA Stains for Visualizing DNA in Electrophoresis Gels

In gel electrophoresis, fluorescent nucleic acid gel stains are dyes used for DNA detection. When bound to DNA molecules and illuminated with UV or blue light, these dye molecules fluoresce brightly. Once the gel is stained, transilluminators are used to excite the dye molecules, which allow DNA to be visualized, sized, and quantified. The SYBR family of dyes is a safer and more sensitive alternative to ethidium bromide (EtBr).

SYBR Gold stain is a versatile and universal nucleic acid gel stain that provides excellent sensitivity for dsDNA, ssDNA, and RNA detection. SYBR Gold stain can be used with many gel types and does not require a wash step.

SYBR Gold stain is an excellent choice for use in molecular biology applications such as northern blotting, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and single-strand conformation polymorphism, as well as routine gel analysis.

SYBR Green I Nucleic Acid Gel Stain is an extremely sensitive fluorescent stain for detecting nucleic acids in both agarose and polyacrylamide gels, detecting as little as 60 pg of DNA. SYBR Green stains and SYBR Gold stains share many similarities, but SYBR Green stains are slightly less sensitive than SYBR Gold stain.

SYBR Green I stain has some important qualities, making it the preferred reagent for certain applications. 

• Exhibits greater fluorescence enhancement when bound to dsDNA and oligonucleotides than when bound to RNA; this makes SYBR Green I the ideal candidate for staining DNA in applications where RNA may be present and obscure the results
• Has a very low background fluorescence, making it the preferred dye for some laser scanning instruments where background fluorescence can produce unacceptable noise levels

Shop SYBR Green I Nucleic Acid Gel Stain
Learn more about SYBR Green II RNA Gel Stain

SYBR Safe DNA gel stain is the safest reagent for staining DNA. SYBR Safe stain has sensitivity comparable to that of EtBr, yet tests negative in three mammalian cell-based assays for genotoxicity. It is less mutagenic than ethidium bromide in standard Ames tests and is not classified as hazardous waste under U.S. federal regulations.

Learn more about SYBR Safe DNA stains