SYBR Safe versus ethidium bromide

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SYBR Safe versus ethidium bromide
Nikita Warner, Ph.D. Assoc. Product
Manager Nucleic Acid Separation Analysis
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What is SYBR Safe?

• A DNA gel stain that is
• Better for you
• displays no acute oral toxicity and greatly
  reduced genotocixity
• Better for the environment
• offers non-hazardous waste status and Clean Water
  Act compliance
• Better for your institution
• reduces waste storage and disposal costs
• Better for your sample
• improves cloning efficiency when used with
  blue-light illumination without compromising
  detection sensitivity as compared to ethidium
  bromide

SYBR Safe is a better DNA gel stain
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How is SYBR Safe better for me?
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Oral toxicity evaluation
Displays no acute oral toxicity
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Genotoxicity studies
Displays greatly reduced genotocixity
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Ames test results
Causes fewer mutations in the standard Ames test
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How is SYBR Safe better for the environment?
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Hazardous waste testing

• According to the guidelines of the EPA, SYBR
  Safe DNA gel stain is not
• corrosive
• ignitable, or
• reactive

Not classified as hazardous waste under U.S.
federal regulations
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NPDES analysis
Tests performed according to National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) guidelines
indicate that SYBR Safe DNA gel stain does not
differ significantly from 0.5X TBE buffer
SYBR Safe DNA gel stain does not differ
significantly from 0.5X TBE buffer
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Organic compound analysis

• Tested were performed on 0.5X TBE and 1X SYBR
  Safe in 0.5X TBE for
• Organochlorine pesticides and PCBs (608M)
• Volatile organic compounds (624)
• Semi-volatile organic compounds (625)

None of the organic pollutant compounds tested
for were detected in either sample
SYBR Safe DNA gel stain in 0.5X TBE is
indistinguishable from 0.5X TBE alone
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How is SYBR Safe better for my institution?
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SYBR Safe Institutional Savings
Case Study Forsyth Institute, Boston, MA (data
provided by Forsyth Institute)
For more details, visit www.invitrogen.com/sybrsa
fe
14 institutional savings at a Boston institute
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SYBR Safe Waste Disposal at ISU
Iowa State University, Ames IA

• Wastewater officials in Ames, Iowa approved the
  disposal of SYBR Safe as nontoxic waste
• Diluted dye solution can be poured directly down
  the drain at Iowa State University

ISU scientists can dispose SYBR Safe liquid
waste down the drain
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How is SYBR Safe better for my sample?
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Sensitivity comparison
Kb
23.1
9.4
6.6
4.4
2.3
2.0
Ethidium bromide
SYBR Safe
Marker is l DNA/Hind III Fragment
SYBR Safe has comparable sensitivity to ethidium
bromide
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E-Gel - EtBr versus SYBR Safe
1.2 E-Gel with ethidium bromide 0.3 second
exposure
Same samples and volumes loaded on both gels.
Both gels viewed on UV transilluminator
1.2 E-Gel with SYBR Safe 1 second exposure
Same sensitivity as ethidium bromide, but longer
exposure
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How does one use SYBR Safe?
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Using SYBR Safe

• Formats offered
• Offered as 10,000X concentrate, or
• Ready-to-use solution in 1X TAE
• Ready-to-use solution in 0.5X TBE
• E-Gel pre-cast agarose gels incorporated with
  SYBR Safe
• How to use
• Incorporate into the gel, or
• Perform post-run staining, or
• Use E-Gel with SYBR Safe

SYBR Safe is convenient to use
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What does UV exposure do to DNA?
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Effect of UV on DNA
Ethidium bromide UV Light
SYBR SafeTM Blue Light
2 4 8 16
Time (Min)
2 4 8 16
CFUs obtained from transformation with
constructs containing inserts stained with
SYBR Safe or ethidium bromide and viewed on
blue light or UV respectively
UV damages DNA and diminishes cloning results
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Eliminate the dangers of UV transillumination
Safe Imager Blue light Transilluminator

• Does not damage your skin and eyes
• Produces bright light and uniform emission
• Provides optimal excitation for SYBR Safe DNA
  gel stain
• For more information, visit www.invitrogen.com/sa
  feimager

Optimum excitation of SYBR Safe and maximum
safety
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Safe Imager versus the competition
Competitor blue light box
Safe Imager technology
Even illumination with the Safe Imager
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Safe Imager for visualizing stained proteins
SYPRO Ruby staining
ng protein per band (approx.)
2x dilution series Mark 12 Markers
SafeImager
1 ng sensitivity with SYPRO Ruby and SafeImager
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Safe Imager and SYPRO-Ruby Staining of 2-D gel
Mark12 standards
Jurkat cell lysate
Avoid UV exposure when performing 2-D
electrophoresis
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Safe Imager and SYPRO Orange protein stain
256
128
256
128
0.5
0.5
32
16
32
16
1
0.125
2
0.125
1
4
2
8
0.25
0.25
8
4
64
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SYPRO Orange (Safe Imager)
Lucy 565 (UV)
Superior sensitivity with SYPRO Orange and Safe
Imager versus Sigmas Lucy 565
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Safe Imager and SYPRO Ruby protein stain
SYPRO Ruby (Safe Imager)
Lucy 506 (Safe Imager)
Mark12 standards
Superior sensitivity with SYPRO Ruby and Safe
Imager versus Sigmas Lucy 506
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The complete safety solution
SYBR Safe DNA Gel Stain

• Better for you
• Better for the environment
• Better for your institution
• Better for your sample
• All this with
• No compromise on performance
• For more information, visit
• www.invitrogen.com/sybrsafe

Safe Imager Blue light Transilluminator

• Avoid UV exposure
• Get improved cloning efficiency
• Can be used with DNA and protein stains

SYBR Safe and Safe Imager offer the compete
safety solution
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Information
Learn more about SYBR Safe at
www.invitrogen.com/sybrsafe Safe Imager at
www.invitrogen.com/safeimager Additional
information or questions E-mail
sybrsafe_at_invitrogen.com
We like you just the way you are!