Electroblotting technique for transferring specimens from a polyacrylamide electrophoresis or like gel onto a membrane

An apparatus especially suitable for transferring a particular specimen from a polyacrylamide electrophoresis or like gel onto a support sheet by means of electroblotting, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a pair of plate-shaped electrode assemblies, each of which is a multilayered assembly including:
• (i) an electrode layer of electrically conductive material, and
• (ii) a layer of thermally conductive material which serves as a heat sink;
• (b) means for maintaining said electrode assemblies in but confronting generally horizontal relationship to one another with said gel and support sheet sandwiched therebetween;
• (c) means for adjustably decreasing the spacing between said electrode assemblies;
• and
• (d) means for connecting said electrode assemblies to a source of power for producing an electric field across said gel and support sheet in order to transfer said specimen from the gel to the sheet by means of electroblotting.

A method of transferring a particular specimen from a polyacrylamide electrophoresis or like gel onto a transfer sheet by means of electroblotting, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a pair of plate-shaped electrode assemblies having facing layers of electrically conductive material in a confronting relationship to one another;
• (b) placing said gel and transfer sheet between said electrode assemblies such that the gel and transfer sheet are in a confronting relationship with one another;
• (c) adjustably decreasing the spacing between said electrode assemblies at a plurality of different points on one of the assemblies so that the assemblies squeeze the gel and support sheet together while remaining substantially parallel at their adjusted position;
• and
• (d) connecting said electrode assemblies to a source of power for producing an electric field across said gel and support sheet in order to transfer said specimen from the gel to the sheet by means of electroblotting.

An apparatus suitable for transferring a biological specimen from a gel onto a transfer membrane by means of electroblotting, comprising:

• (a) a pair of planar electrode assemblies which have facing layers of electrically conductive material and backing layers of thermally conductive material which serve as a heat sink;
• (b) means for maintaining the electrode assemblies in a generally parallel confronting relationship with the facing layers thereof adapted to receive a gel containing a biological specimen and a transfer membrane therebetween;
• (c) means to adjust the spacing of the planar electrode assemblies so that one of the facing layers thereof contacts the gel and one of the facing layers contacts the transfer membrane;
• (d) means for connecting the electrode assemblies to a source of electrical power to produce an electrical field to drive the biological specimen from the gel to the transfer membrane.

A method of transferring a biological specimen from a gel onto a transfer membrane by means of electroblotting, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a pair of planar electrode assemblies in a confronting relationship to one another;
• (b) placing said gel and transfer membrane between said electrode assemblies such that the gel and transfer sheet are in confronting relationship with one another;
• (c) adjustably decreasing the spacing between said planar electrode assemblies at a plurality of different points on one of the assemblies so that the assemblies squeeze the gel and transfer membrane together while remaining substantially parallel at their adjusted position;
• and
• (d) connecting said electrode assemblies to a source of power for producing an electric field across said gel and transfer membrane in order to transfer said specimen from the gel to the membrane by means of electroblotting.