Sustainable and Cost-Effective Gel Documentation

A common laboratory method involves gel electrophoresis followed by photographic documentation of the results, a procedure which is performed worldwide by students and experienced scientists alike. Proprietary Gel Documentation Systems are convenient and useful for documentation of electrophoresis results, but the systems can be prohibitively expensive to purchase and repair, they contain features that are not necessary for everyday documentation, and some users may not find the systems intuitive to operate. We describe our gel documentation setup that meets the everyday needs for documentation in our lab. The setup is inexpensive, modular, user friendly, and increases sustainability through extending the working life of obsolete cell phones, iPads, or other electronic devices containing a camera. More importantly, the setup completely shields users from potentially damaging ultraviolet radiation.