All Invitrogen precast protein gels are high-quality polyacrylamide gels designed to deliver excellent performance, reliability, and reproducibility. Our protein gels are offered in four different chemistries. Whether your protein is 2.5 kDa or as large as 500 kDa, or you’re looking for separation under native conditions or by isoelectric point—we have a solution for your application.

Four gel chemistries for tailored SDS-PAGE separation

Exceptional protein gel electrophoresis is the cornerstone of a successful western blotting experiment. Invitrogen precast protein gels are offered in four different chemistries, allowing you to tailor the separation to your target protein's molecular weight. This helps obtain sharp, well-resolved bands, and results in efficient transfer and improved detection of your protein.

 Bis-Tris Gels
Bis-Tris Gels
Tris-Glycine Gels
Tris-Glycine Gels
Tris-Acetate Gels
Tris-Acetate Gels
Tricine Gels
Tricine Gels
Available precast gelsNuPAGE Bis-Tris Gels, Bolt Bis-Tris Plus GelsNovex Tris-GlycineNuPAGE Tris-AcetateNovex Tricine
Use for

Neutral pH environment helps prevent protein degradation

Faster run times

Dilute samples, low abundance proteins

Traditional Laemmli-style gel electrophoresisImproved resolution of high molecular weight proteinsImproved resolution of low molecular weight proteins
Protein sample typeBroad range MW (6–400 kDa)Broad range MW (6–400 kDa)High range MW (40–500 kDa)Low range MW (2.5–40 kDa)
WedgeWell format gelsMidi and mini (load up to 100 and 60 µL, respectively)Midi and mini (load up to 100 and 60 µL, respectively)Midi and mini (load up to 100 and 60 µL, respectively)

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Average run time22–45 min Bolt gels 35–50 min NuPAGE90 min60 min90 min
Shelf life*Up to 16 months at room temperatureUp to 12 monthsUp to 8 months1–2 months

Get started with our money-saving Protein Gel Welcome Packs

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High loading capacity meets high sample throughput

WedgeWell format wells are wedge-shaped wells that increase the sample loading capacity, allowing up to 100 µL of sample to be loaded in the well. The WedgeWell design was introduced in 2012 to increase the sample loading capacity of Invitrogen precast mini gels.

More than a thousand peer-reviewed articles demonstrate how WedgeWell format gels help produce publication-quality results and enable the study of low abundance proteins, reducing the need to enrich dilute samples before loading them onto the gel.

“WedgeWell gels hold up to 60 μL of sample/well making it feasible to load enough protein for dilute OMV suspensions.” [1]

“The large wedgewells are excellent for loading large volumes.” [2]

Midi gels with WedgeWell format wells allow the separation of up to 26 protein samples in the same run without compromising on sample loading volume.

Key benefits of WedgeWell format gels:

  • Results you can trust—rigorously tested to help ensure reliable, reproducible performance, lot after lot
  • Easy sample loading—larger well openings makes loading easy, even with standard pipette tips and reduce sample spill-over and cross well contamination
  • Increased sample loading capacity—easy detection of dilute samples and low abundance proteins
  • Reduced cost—lower cost per sample and reduced running buffer required per sample (7.3 mL of running buffer saved per sample, 140 mL saved for 20 samples)*
  • Faster run times—up to 10 min faster than traditional gels

Available in three different gel chemistries:

All Invitrogen protein gels meet the highest standards of performance, reliability, and consistency.

See our Protein Gel Performance Guarantee

*Based on comparison between our most popular mini and midi well format options (12 and 20 well, respectively)


Recommended sample loading volumes for mini and midi gels

Well sizeMaximum loading volume (µL)
  WedgeWell format midi gelsStandard midi gels
12 + 2 (small wells) 100 + 35 50 + 15
20 60 30
26 40 20
  WedgeWell format mini gelsStandard mini gels
10 60 25
12 45 20
15 35 15
17 30 15
*1 mm thick gel

IEF and specialized gels

For separation of proteins under nondenaturing conditions or native page, three gel systems are recommended- NativePAGE Bis-Tris, Novex Tris-Glycine and NuPAGE Tris-Acetate. NativePAGE Bis-Tris gels, are based on the blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) which helps overcome the limitations of traditional native electrophoresis by providing a near-neutral operating pH and detergent compatibility. Both Novex Tris-Glycine and NuPAGE Tris-Acetate gels can be run under native and non-reducing conditions for separation of proteins by net charge, size and shape.

For separation of proteins by isoelectroctric point (pI), use Novex IEF gels. Novex IEF gels effectively create a pH gradient to separate proteins according to their unique pI.

 NativePAGE Bis-Tris Gels
NativePAGE Bis-Tris Gels
Isoelectric Focusing Gels
Isoelectric Focusing Gels
Novex Zymogram Gels
Novex Zymogram Gels
E-PAGE Precast Gels
E-PAGE Precast
Gels

Gel chemistryBis-TrispH 3–7, pH 3–10Tris-glycine with gelatin8% or 6%
Protein sample type15–10,000 kDapI 3.5–8.510–220 kDa10–200 kDa
Product benefitsSeparation of native proteins, neutral pH for high sensitivity applicationsSeparation of proteins based on isoelectric pointSeparation of proteins based on size and activityHigh-throughput gel system, that eliminates the need for buffers

Handcast System

 SureCast Handcast System
SureCast Handcast System
Empty Gel Cassettes
Empty Gel Cassettes
Bolt Empty Cassettes
Bolt Empty Cassettes
Cassette typeReusable, glassSingle use, pre-sealedSingle use, pre-sealed
Product benefits
  • Leak-free design—minimize the number of failed gels, waste less time
  • Superior glass plate durability
  • Unique tilt feature—helps minimize spillage and confidently load acrylamide solutions
  • Simple component assembly—using a single-motion load-and-lock mechanism
  • Ready-to-pour cassettes, casting stand not required, cassettes sealed on three sides (no gel leakage)
  • Special coating provides uniform polymerization rate for a more consistent handcast gel
  • High capacity sample wells—load up to 60 µL per well
  • Ready-to-pour cassettes, casting stand not required, cassettes sealed on three sides (no gel leakage)
  • Special coating provides uniform polymerization rate for a more consistent handcast gel
Gel dimensionsMini: 8x8 cm (1 mm thick)Mini: 8x8 cm (1 or 1.5 mm thick) Midi: 8x13 cm (1 mm thick)Mini: 8x8 cm (1 mm thick)
Gel tankMini Gel Tank, Xcell SureLock Mini-CellMini Gels: Mini Gel Tank or XCell SureLock Mini-Cell Midi Gels: XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell or Bio-Rad Criterion (with adapters only)Mini Gel Tank, Xcell SureLock Mini-Cell
ReagentsSureCast reagents, other popular polyacrylamide reagentsSureCast reagents, other popular polyacrylamide reagentsSureCast reagents, other popular polyacrylamide reagents
Combos available1-, 2-, 10-, 12-, and 15-wells1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 12-, 15-, and 2D-wells10- or 12-wells (high capacity wells)

How-to videos

How to choose the right protein gel for your research application

This webinar will highlight the different protein modifications occurring during electrophoresis, the importance of pH in sample integrity, how to choose the right gel chemistry for specific research applications, and how to introduce the right gel chemistry in your research workflow.

How to separate proteins using an Invitrogen precast SDS-PAGE gel

This video will show you how to separate proteins by using Invitrogen Mini Gel Tank and Invitrogen precast SDS-PAGE gels.


Still unsure which precast gel works best for your research needs? Download the Gel Selection Chart


Protein Gels Performance Guarantee

Protein Gels Performance Guarantee

We stand behind the performance of our protein gels.

Learn more

References

  1. Libardo, M.D.J.; Durr, E.; Hernandez, L.D. A Robust Protocol to Isolate Outer Membrane Vesicles from Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae.Methods Protoc.2023,6, 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/mps6020042
  2. Horita, H., Law, A., Middleton, K. Utilizing a Comprehensive Immunoprecipitation Enrichment System to Identify an Endogenous Post-translational Modification Profile for Target Proteins. J. Vis. Exp. (131), e56912, doi:10.3791/56912 (2018).
Resources
Stylesheet for Classic Wide Template adjustments
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Find the right protein gel for your experiments

Pour your own gels with a handcast systemValue gels for screening and qualitative protein separationGels based on traditional Laemmli formula with 60uL sample volume capacityHighest resolution, longest shelf-life and western optimized gelsHighest resolution and long shelf-life
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Novex™ Value  Tris-Glycine gels
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Novex™ WedgeWell™ Tris-Glycine gels
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Bolt™ Gels
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NuPAGE™ Gels

Citations in the last 10 yearsN/AN/AN/AN/A (new product)>20,000
Protein resolution & integrity, lot consistency & band qualityNot applicableGoodHighHighHigh
Average run time90 min46 min (225V)60 min35 min35 min
Well formatStandardStandardNew high-capacity wedge designNew high-capacity wedge designStandard
Gel dimensionsMini: 8x8 cm, 1 or 1.5 mm thickMini: 8x8 cm, 1 mm thickMini: 8x8 cm, 1 or 1.5 mm thick Mini: 8x8.3 cm, 1 mm thickMini: 8x8 cm, 1 or 1.5 mm thick Midi: 8 x 13 cm, 1 mm thick
Shelf lifeN/AUp to 12 monthsUp to 12 months>16 months8 months (Tris-Acetate) 16 months (Bis-Tris)
Pack sizesN/A20 pack2 & 10 packs10 packs2 & 10 packs

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.