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Updated: Jul 28, 2025

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis for the Separation of DNA Fragments
Published on: April 20, 2012
Appearance of ghost bands in gel electrophoresis depending on agarose concentration
Jana Raab1, Beate Fink1, Mario Bauer1
1Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
Abstract:
Standard agarose gel electrophoresis is a widely used method to analyse diversity of nucleic acids. Certain conditions, however, may give rise to artefactual bands. We report on artefactual bands frequently occurring, especially when partially homologous nucleic acids, such as splicing variants of DNA transcripts, are analysed simultaneously. Interestingly, to some extent agarose concentration may influence the occurrence of artefactual bands.
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