For Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis
Minimise exposure to light and reduce background DNA damage
High efficiency cooling for enhanced resolution
Compatible with ethylene glycol mixtures for cooling down to $°C
Cleaver Scientific Comet Assay Tanks are available in four slide formats to study single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE), a technique made popular by drug toxicology and carcinogenesis studies for the detection and quantification of DNA damage in cells. Each tank’s robust construction from ebony acrylic ensures that cells remain free of exposure to background light and DNA damage during electrophoresis, while a cooled central platform provides a convenient surface for slide preparation and control of slide temperature during the assay. Following electrophoresis DNA damage may be measured using Comet Assay scoring software.
Background: First introduced in 1981 to quantify double-stranded DNA breakages in single cells exposed to irradiation, the Comet Assay (or SCGE) has since been adapted to analyse specific DNA lesions and repair processes.
Overview: Following genotoxic insult, such as ionizing radiation, the resultant strand breakage of supercoiled duplex DNA reduces the size of the large genomic DNA from which these strands are separated or drawn out by electrophoresis. The genomic DNA then takes on the appearance of a comet as its negatively charged broken ends and fragments migrate towards the anode during electrophoresis.
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