Electrophoresis gel cassette and comb

Abstract

Provided herein is an apparatus for gel electrophoresis comprising a cassette and a comb having at least one wedge-shaped tooth.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for gel electrophoresis comprising:
 a gel cassette having a retainer plate and a divider plate; and   a comb having at least one tooth that is wider on the top end of the comb and narrower toward the bottom end of the tooth.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the tooth has a volume of at least 40 μL. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the tooth has a volume of at least 41 μL, at least about 45 μL, at least about 55 μL, at least 60 μL, at least about 70 μL, at least about 75 μL, at least about 90 μL, at least about 100 μL, at least about 110 μL, or at least about 130 μL. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the sample well has a volume that is at least 10% greater, at least 20% greater, at least 50% greater, at least 100% greater, at least 150% greater, at least 175% greater, at least 200% greater, or at least 250% greater than a well created using a standard comb, wherein the volume of sample wells created by using the standard comb is about 37.5 μL. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the gel cassette includes a lip extending from the exterior surface of at least one of the divider plate or the retainer plate. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the comb is a ten-tooth comb, a twelve-tooth comb, a fifteen-tooth comb, a-seventeen tooth comb, or a twenty-tooth comb. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the comb is molded from a plastic comprising: polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, polyethylene, polymethyl polypropylene, cellulose acetates, copolymers, or polycarbonate. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a gel cassette with an opening into which the comb is insertable. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the comb comprises a back surface that is flush with an interior surface of a divider plate of the cassette and a front surface that is aligned with a front edge of a lip of a retainer plate of the cassette. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the tooth tapers in width from the top end to the bottom end of the well. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the tooth forms a sample well having a depth as deep as the height of the angled portion of the tooth from the tip to the edge of the comb. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the top of the tooth is between about 0.15 inch and about 0.2 inch. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the top of the tooth is about 0.18 inch. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the bottom of the tooth is between about 0.03 inch and about 0.05 inch. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the bottom of the tooth is about 0.04 inch. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the tooth has a flat surface at the tip of the tooth. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the edge of the comb opposite to the tooth serves as a handle to facilitate insertion and removal of the comb from the cassette. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the apparatus is configured to create a gel having sharp bands or a gel having high resolution. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the cassette has at least one interior surface. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the at least one interior surface is coated with a coating. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein the coating is an oxygen interference coating. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40 , wherein the oxygen interference coating is selected from at least one of SiO or SiO 2 .