Blue Loading Dye (6X)

Loading dye is used in gel electrophoresis protocols to accomplish the following:

  1. Visualize your sample to more easily load the gel
  2. Alter the density of your sample so it sinks properly into the wells of the gel
  3. Visualize your sample to track your its migration

To learn more about loading dyes, check out this helpful resource.

Required Reagents:

  • Glycerol
  • Bromophenol blue (migrates at ~3,000bp)
  • Xylene cyanol (migrates at ~250bp)
  • diH20

Required Materials:

  • 50mL falcon tube
  • pipette
  • weighing boats or paper
  • scale with mg capacity
  • vortex
  • rocker or orbital shaker

Instructions:

  1. In your 50mL falcon tube, add 35 mls of diH20
  2. Add 15 mls of glycerol
  3. Measure out and add 0.125 g of bromophenol blue
  4. Measure out and add 0.125 g of xylene cyanol
  5. Vortex to mix. Agitate on a rocker or orbital shaker until completely homogenous.
  6. Bring the total volume to 50mL with diH20 as needed.
  7. Dilute as needed with diH20.

The CCG blue dye contains both the blue and purple bands shown below. The CCG orange dye contains only the orange band.

Loading dye bands