Western Blot Storage Bags

Kit Components

Specifications

• Storage: Room Temperature
• Impervious to light

Product Description

Western Blot Storage Bags are a convenient way to save, store, and organize Western blot membranes. The foil bags are lightproof and can accommodate standard size minigel blots (7 x 8cm) up to Criterion™ gel blots (8.5 x 13.5cm). Safeguarding blots in Western Blot Storage Bags prevents scratches and protects from photobleaching for long term storage.

Applications

Western Blot Storage Bags allow you to archive dry membranes.

• Dry fluorescent blots can be re-imaged.

• Fluorescent blots or chemiluminescent blots can be rehydrated and re-probed, when appropriate.

  See the Protocol section for specific instructions on how to archive blots you intend to re-probe.

Protocol

Blots that were stripped and re-probed cannot be used to generate quantitative results.

• To re-image chemiluminescent blots that were archived without first being stripped, you must add new HRP-labeled secondary antibody and new substrate. This process is likely to result in poor quality images.
• PVDF membranes will degrade over time, due to their chemical composition. This degradation will appear as background signal in the 700 nm channel around the edges of the blot.

Prepare Membrane for Archiving or Rescanning Only

1. Ensure that the membrane is completely dry.
2. Place the membrane between 2 pieces of standard, lab grade filter paper.
3. Place the membrane and filter paper in the bag and seal the bag, while removing air trapped in the bag.
4. Annotate the outside of the bag with appropriate experimental information using a suitable felt tip pen.
5. Store at room temperature in a dry place.

Prepare Membrane for Archiving and Re-probing

1. While the membrane is still wet, strip the membrane per the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Check for complete stripping.
3. Rinse the membrane with water or PBS/TBS.
4. Let the membrane dry completely.
5. Place the membrane between 2 pieces of standard, lab grade filter paper.
6. Place the membrane and filter paper in the bag and seal the bag, while removing air trapped in the bag.
7. Annotate the outside of the bag with appropriate experimental information using a suitable felt tip pen.
8. Store at room temperature in a dry place.

Re-probe Membrane

1. If using nitrocellulose, rehydrate the membrane in PBS/TBS for 5 minutes.

   If using PVDF, briefly rehydrate in methanol before moving the membrane to PBS/TBS for 5 minutes.

2. Start the blocking step and continue through your standard Western blot procedure.