I'm outsourcing a proteomics project to a collaborator, who has asked me to send him a SDS-PAGE acrylamide gel, in destaining buffer, via either USPS or FedEX.
Every hypothetical method of successfully sending this gel through the mail that I've devised invariably seems like it will end with the gel being torn to pieces during its journey.
Has anyone ever successfully mailed a fully hydrated acrylamide gel through the postal system? If so, how did you package the gel so that it wasn't destroyed during shipment.?
Personally, I've transferred to nitrocellusoe before shipping. However, I can imagine that if you have a heat sealer, you could seal the gel up in a bag with some buffer then put the bag in a box (I've stored gels like this before, and it keeps them hydrated). Of course, if your collaborator routinely gets gels that have been shipped, ask them how they prefer you to ship it.
Thanks Richard, I was considering something along those lines (the heat sealer), it seems like it should work. I've asked my collaborator, but thus far no reply, so I figured I would ask the community at large their thoughts. Hopefully he replies soon, as I'm quite close to being ready to ship.
Robert,
Thank you so much, that's incredibly helpful, and quite straightforward. I did hear from my collaborator and to simplify the shipment we are going to pre-cut the gel into individual lanes/band prior to shipment, so that should make things a little simpler. But, if I do need to send a full gel at any point, I will be bookmarking your answer, again, thank you.
Devin
I've never shipped gels, but I would frequently seal them into bags (tightly) without even adding buffer, They would stay hydrated for months, and this I know will work for you.
There are two ways to do this successfully:
1) You seal the gel in a bag in destain solution and add a lot of bubble wrap;
2) The easiest and safest way to this is, to take the gel out of the destain solution, let it air dry on top of saran wrap for 48 hours, ten pack it carefully with a lot of bubble wrap and send it. The person receiving it has just to put it back in a destain solution and the gel will rehydrate.
Good Luck! Let me know if it works.
The whole gel, or just the bands? Can the bands be excised first (then separately packaged in 1.5mL tubes filled with DI water/buffer)?
Whoops - just saw your answer. Sorry!
Please follow the link below for a detailed protocol- we do this on a routine basis with NO problems:
http://www.etsu.edu/com/msc/protocols.aspx
I cut bands from 5 years dried gels from my lab note-book, hydrated them before detaining and I used these bands for protein ID my MS. It was fine even after 5 years. I do not see the reason for shipping hydrated gels
I agree with Nazrul, gel can be dried before shipment, then hydrated and used in a regular way.
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