Colorimetric stains vs Fluorescent stains

Colorimetric stains There are numerous DNA stains that mark DNA with a visible blue compound (e.g. FlashBlue, CarolinaBLU, Fast Blast). Colorimetric stains are more affordable than fluorescent stains and technically do not require a transilluminator (although a white light illuminator is recommended for easy viewing). However, colorimetric DNA stains come with a few major disadvantages. First, colorimetric stains are less sensitive and cannot detect lower concentrations of DNA reliably. This makes them suitable only for some educational uses but not for most real-world lab applications. Second, colorimetric stains involve extra steps and do not allow students to see their results immediately after a gel electrophoresis run. Gels need to be soaked in blue DNA stains and then rinsed, with the staining and destaining process taking at least 15 minutes and up to overnight. The stains are also somewhat messy and can leave blue residue on surfaces. Fluorescent DNA stains are worth the increased cost. They are sensitive enough to ensure that students can visualize their DNA samples, even when the concentration is low. Plus, class time is precious and avoiding the soaking and rinsing steps means students get more time to devote to more meaningful educational activities. You can even buy convenient all-in-one tabs that contain agarose, buffer, and fluorescent DNA stain to make casting gels a breeze!