Unitary electrode and electrode support for horizontal electrophoresis

A method for assembling a horizontal electrophoresis cell comprising a tank having a raised internal platform to support a gel flanked by a pair of elongated electrode wells, said method comprising:

• (a) placing a pair of wire electrodes mounted on electrode supports in said tank with one said wire electrode in each said well, each said electrode support comprising (i) an elongated bar to which said wire electrode is mounted and (ii) a mounting member projecting from said bar, by inserting each said mounting member into a recess in a side wall of said tank adjacent to each of said wells while securing said mounting members in said recesses by spring-loaded, manually releasable locks on said mounting members, each said mounting member having an electrical plug mounted thereto;
• and
• (b) connecting said electrical plugs to a power source.

A method for electrophoretically separating species in a sample, said method comprising loading said sample onto a slab gel, and while said gel is on a raised internal platform in a tank that includes a pair of elongated electrode wells, one such well on each of two opposing sides of said platform, each said well having a side wall with a recess therein, applying a voltage between a pair of wire electrodes on electrode supports, each said electrode support comprising (i) an elongated bar having one of said wire electrodes mounted thereon, and (ii) a mounting member projecting from said bar and insertable into one of said recesses such that when said mounting member is so inserted said bar resides in one of said wells, each said mounting member having an electrical plug mounted thereto and a spring-loaded, manually releasable lock for securing said mounting member in said recess.