Electrophoresis apparatus with minimal autofluorescence to enable gel processing in situ

An electrophoresis apparatus for sample analysis, comprising:

• a cassette defining a cavity between a first pane and a second pane of a viewing window, wherein the cassette includes a first plate including the first pane and a second plate including the second pane, and wherein each plate is an injection-molded part having an autofluorescent scar corresponding to a site of polymer injection that is spaced from the viewing window;
• a slab gel located in the cavity;
• wherein the viewing window is transparent to ultraviolet light, wherein the viewing window, absent the slab gel, defines a window autofluorescence inducible by irradiation with the ultraviolet light, and wherein the window autofluorescence, per unit area, is less than five-fold a gel autofluorescence of the slab gel, per the same unit area and under the same irradiation with the ultraviolet light.