Hoefer SE 400 User manual

user manual
SE 400/SE 410
um SE400-IM/Rev. A0/06-04
Hoefer SE 400/SE 410
the Sturdier vertical slab gel electrophoresis units

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Page finder
1. Gel electrophoresis unit function and description
Unpacking and disassembly ............................................ 2
Annotated inventory ........................................................ 4
Specifications ................................................................ 6
2. Operating instructions
2.1. Gel casting preparation
2.1.1. options—precast and self cast gels ............ 7
2.1.2. preliminary casting steps ........................... 8
2.2. Acrylamide gel preparation
2.2.1. resolving gel ........................................... 11
2.2.2. stacking gel ............................................ 12
2.2.3. gradient gel ............................................ 13
2.3. Sample preparation ........................................... 15
2.4. Final assembly ................................................. 16
2.5. Resolving the sample ........................................ 20
2.6. After electrophoresis ......................................... 23
3. Care and maintenance ........................................... 24
4. Troubleshooting ...................................................... 25
Appendices
A. Laemmli System Gels ............................................... 29
B. Bibliography ............................................................ 37
Ordering information ................................................... 39

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English
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Safety warnings and precautions
• Only use a power supply that is CE marked or
safety certified by a nationally recognized testing
laboratory.
• Turn all power supply controls off before plugging
in or removing the power leads, and only connect or
disconnect leads when the safety lid is in place.
• Do not operate at temperatures above 45 °C.
All plastic parts are rated for 45 °C continuous
duty. Overheating will cause irreparable damage to
the unit!
• If this equipment is used in a manner not specified
by the manufacturer, the protection provided by the
equipment may be impaired.
• Only accessories and parts approved or supplied by
Hoefer, Inc. may be used for operating, maintaining,
and servicing this product.
• Utiliser seulement un générateur marqué CE ou
dont la sûreté a été certifiée par un laboratoire de
test nationalement reconnu.
• Eteindre le générateur avant de brancher ou de
débrancher les prises. Le couvercle de sécurité doit
être en place avant de brancher ou de débrancher
les prises au générateur.
• Ne pas utiliser à une température au dessus de
45 °C. Toutes les pièces en plastique sont prévues
pour résister à une température constante de 45 °C.
Toute surchauffe causera des dommages irrépara-
bles à l’unité.
• Si cet appareil est utilisé de manière incorrecte ou
non approuvée par le constructeur, la protection
fournie par l’appareil peut etre altérée.
• Seuls les accessoires et pièces détachées approuvés
ou fournis par Hoefer, Inc. sont recommandés pour
l’utilisation, l’entretien et la réparation de
ce produit.
Français
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1. Unit function and description
The Hoefer™ SE 400 and SE 410 Sturdier™ Verti-
cal Slab Gel Electrophoresis Units are intended
for electrophoretic separation of proteins and
nucleic acids under both denaturing and native
conditions. Up to 28 samples can be compared
on a single slab gel. One gel (or two gels if using
the divider plate, ordered separately) is cast in
the casting stand side of the unit. The size of
the gel is 14 × 15 cm if using the SE 400, and
14 × 23 cm if using the SE 410. After casting,
the sandwich is transferred into the lower buffer
chamber for electrophoresis.
The basic unit includes one set of glass plates
(18 × 16 cm for the SE 400, and 18 × 24 cm for
the SE 410), two clamp assemblies (SE 400: two
16 cm clamps; SE 410: two 16 cm clamps and
two 8 cm clamps), and two cams. The complete
unit includes one 15-well comb and two spacers,
1.5 mm thick, in addition to the basic unit.

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Unpacking and disassembly
Unwrap all packages carefully and compare
contents with the packing list, making sure all
items arrived. If any part is missing, contact
your local sales office. Inspect all components
for damage that may have occurred while the
unit was in transit. If any part appears damaged,
contact the carrier immediately. Be sure to keep
all packing material for damage claims or to use
should it become necessary to return the unit.
This unit is partially assembled to protect
components during shipping. To disassemble:
1
Position the unit so that the electrical connectors
face you.
2
Note the holes at each side on the upper buffer
chamber. Rest your thumbs in these holes and use
your index fingers to lift the sides of the safety lid
gently until the electrode connectors unplug. First lift
the lid straight up so that the upper electrode shield
clears the upper chamber and then lift the lid out
(toward you) to remove it completely.
3
Lift out the upper buffer chamber and then the glass
plate assembly.
4
Remove the clamps by loosening the thumb screws.

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color-coded connectors (2)
color-coded leads (2)
safety lid
upper buffer chamber
glass plates (2)
casting cradle
leveling feet (4)
clamps
lower buffer chamber
Fig 1. SE 400 series
main components.
Included but not shown:
Cams
GelSeal grease, 1/4 oz.
Spacer-Mate
Wonder Wedge
Level
Required but not included:
Approved power supply

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Annotated inventory
Buffer chambers. Both buffer chambers are
chemically resistant to common electrophoretic
buffers but not to organic solvents or strong
acids and alkalis.
Safety lid. The lid contains both electrodes and
both electrode connectors. The electrode connec-
tors plug into the lead connectors on the lower
buffer chamber. The color-coded leads plug into
color-coded jacks on the power supply.
Glass plates. Two 18-cm wide glass plates are
included. Plates for the SE 400 are 16 cm long,
and plates for the SE 410 are 24 cm long.
(A notched divider plate, ordered separately,
can be used to run two gels at the same time.)
Clamps. Two 16-cm clamps are required to
secure the 16 cm long sandwich. These and an
additional pair of 8-cm clamps are required to
secure a 24-cm long sandwich.
Casting stand. The caster can be leveled with
the adjustable leveling feet on the bottom of the
unit. A laminated gasket seals the bottom of
the glass plate assembly when it is locked into
the stand.
Cams. Cams are used twice; first to secure the
assembled sandwich in the casting stand and
again to lock the sandwich and the upper buffer
chamber together.
Rubber gaskets. There are two gaskets. The
laminated gasket fits into the bottom of the cast-

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ing stand and provides the seal for the bottom
of the gel sandwich. The slotted gasket fits
under the upper chamber and provides the seal
between the sandwich and the upper chamber.
Two ridges help position this gasket.
Spacer-Mate assembly template. Aligns spacers
for sandwich assembly.
Wonder Wedge Plate Separator Tool. Use to
disassemble gel sandwiches and to gauge spacer
and comb thickness.
Spacers. (May be ordered separately.) Spacers
determine the thickness of the gel. They are 2 cm
wide and are available in three thicknesses: 0.75,
1.0, and 1.5 mm.
Combs. (May be ordered separately.) Teflon™
combs that form 1 to 28 wells are available in
three thicknesses: 0.75, 1.0, and 1.5 mm. Blank
combs form a single large well, and preparative
combs include 1 or 2 reference wells in addition
to the preparative well.
All blanks, preparative combs, and combs with
fewer than 28 wells form wells that are 25 mm
deep. The 28-well comb forms wells that are
only 15 mm deep so that wells do not collapse
when the comb is removed. The sample volume
held by each well depends on the gel thickness,
well depth and the number of wells per comb.
Table 2 on page 15 lists volume per 1 mm depth
for wells created by each comb size. See the
ordering information for additional comb
specifications.

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Specifications
Glass plate size SE 400: 18 × 16 cm
SE 410: 18 × 24 cm
Approximate gel size SE 400: 14 × 15 cm
SE 410: 14 × 23 cm
Max. wattage 20 W
Max. voltage 500 V @ 40 mA
Max. amperage 30 mA/gel
(60 mA total @ 325 V)
Max. temperature 45 °C
Environmental Indoor use: 4–40 °C
operating conditions Humidity up to 80%
Altitude up to 2000 m
Installation category: II
Pollution degree: II
Dimensions (w × h × d) SE 400: 24 × 28 × 15 cm
(9.5 × 11 × 6 in.)
SE 410: 24 × 36 × 15 cm
(9.5 × 14.2 × 6 in.)
Product certifications EN61010–1, UL3101–1,
CSA, C22.2 1010.1, CE
This declaration of conformity
is only valid for the instrument
when it is:
• used in laboratory locations,
• used as delivered from
Hoefer, Inc. except for
alterations described in
the User Manual, and
• connected to other CE
labeled instruments or
products recommended or
approved by Hoefer, Inc