DIYbio:Notebook/Open Gel Box 2.0/Transilluminator

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Author List
Norman Wang 

Purpose
For fluorescing cyanine type DNA dyes, using off the shelf light source and excitation/emission filters. DIY units should be significantly cheaper depending on selection of parts, labor, and design.

Commercial Units

 * E-Gel® Safe Imager™ Real-Time Transilluminator USD $545.00
 * Safe Imager™ blue light transilluminator USD $1135.00
 * Dark Reader transilluminators
 * 14 x 21cm USD $695.00
 * 30 x 46cm USD $1750.00
 * 10 x 25cm USD $1250.00

DNA Dyes To Test

 * Biotium
 * GelGreen
 * GelRed
 * LabSupplyMall
 * GR Safe
 * GR Safe II
 * Invitrogen
 * SYBR Green
 * SYBR Safe
 * Lonza
 * GelStar
 * Any Company
 * EtBR

Filter Wavelength Testing
Spectraphotometer readings of various Tiffen glass, colored acrylic pre and post light filters. Image under Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 License Empirical testing of filter for cyanine type DNA dyes. Performance of each filter can clearly be seen between #1-#2 and #3 orange emission filter. Image under Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 License However colored acrylic #2 has visible unwanted fluorescence along the edge. Image under Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 License