When buying imaging equipment for molecular biology laboratories, you might not know which one to trust. The documentation of protein and nucleic acid that are suspended within agarose and polyacrylamide gels and analysis of samples at high resolution is a fundamental aspect of research laboratories. That is why you need to be extra careful and look no further than the best gel documentation system to further your research.
Here is how to buy a gel documentation system that matches your requirements:
Consider the requirements of your laboratory
The first consideration when buy a gel imager, the basic aspect you need to focus on is your laboratory’s needs. Ask yourself whether the equipment is to be used for running protein gels using ethidium bromide or are you going to use chemiluminescence or fluorescence? Do you need equipment for imaging multiple channels? Apart from types of gels, you need to determine the size of gels, the features that substantiate your research and how far you want to expand the research. The more you explore the easier it is for you to identify the equipment that matches your needs.
Identify your budget
No two things have similar prices and the same applies when you are buying a gel documentation system. Unfortunately, molecular biology laboratories too need to follow a budget. Basic equipment with decent features will cost you less than equipment with high-end features like top-mode software for analysis, chemiluminescence and fluorescence, and multi-channel imaging. Now, you need to decide what kind of model and features are desirable for your laboratory. Once you have a thorough look at the models, it is necessary to go with generic budgeting options. For instance, how much you are ready to spend on the equipment. Thereafter, you must compare various models and study their features in-depth to find out which model is the right fit within your budget. Remember to factor in the expenses of maintaining the equipment and software upgrades. So, it’s an overall budgeting model you need to carefully consider when buying the equipment.
Resolution and camera
Gen documentation systems come fitted with cameras varying in resolution up to 8 megapixels. So, if you buy a device under 2MP, you will get a very basic device. On the other hand, higher resolution and cooled CCD cameras increases the cost significantly. Now, don’t hit the roof with endless jargons when buying the gel documentation system. A good way to untangle the situation would be discussing your queries with the store representative to determine whether a high or low-resolutions model would fit your needs. Don’t just assume that a specific resolution is good for your laboratory needs. Discuss in-depth about the applications in-depth before buying the equipment.
Reliability and usage
Just like other laboratory equipment you buy, usage and reliability play a good role in determining the DNA gel documentation system you need to buy. You need to go through the latest equipment available in the market and check how reliable they are. Today, you get systems with alternatives of UV and luckily they are doing well in the market. Overall, laboratories searching for gel imagers need equipment that is not only reliable but easy to use. When it comes to ease of use, you can focus on equipment with compact size. At the same time, the documentation system must be able to withstand excessive usage.
Vendor support
How good is the vendor support for the equipment you buy? Laboratory equipment may run into trouble at anytime. So, make sure you get a quick response for resolving the matter.
Check the software
What do you want the gel documentation system to do? Is it just about acquiring images or do you want an in-depth analysis? If you need an analysis, how much work do you want the system to perform? Where do you want the system to run on the equipment or on a computer? You will have several lab members working with the system. So, decide if all of them would require copies of the software. Don’t forget to ask the number of lenses that come with the gel doc, the frequency of updates, and for how long you will get free updates.
Automation features
Not every gel imager is easy to use and that is probably because of the automation features in them. Find out whether the equipment requires readjustment after every image is taken. While fully automated machines with high-end features cost more, they are highly efficient and require less training.
When buying a gel documentation system, do not go for too many bells and whistles. Remember that the most basic system would create decent quality images, so you need to leverage on a system that produces images with least hassles. Do you need assistance for buying a device that produces images quickly? Visit https://www.igenels.com/ for gel documentations systems with multiple features.