Electrophoresis Systems & Power Supplies

Check the tank and lid for cracks and crazing, since stress lines can leak buffer or fail under voltage. Confirm the electrode wires are intact and the safety interlock still cuts power when the lid lifts. Ask which combs and casting trays are included, as replacements add cost if they are missing.

Check the supply's voltage and current range covers the runs you do, from low voltage agarose to higher voltage protein gels. Count the output pairs if you want to drive more than one tank at once. A supply with programmable timed profiles is worth having for reproducible runs.

The lid interlock that cuts high voltage when the tank is opened is a critical safety feature. Ask the seller to confirm it operates, and test it yourself on arrival before routine use. A unit with a defeated or broken interlock should not go into service until it is repaired.

Horizontal tanks handle agarose DNA gels while vertical rigs are made for polyacrylamide protein gels, so most labs keep both. Some vertical rigs can run high resolution nucleic acid gels as well. Decide your main workload first, then add the second format as need grows.

Financing is available on qualifying listings, though tanks and supplies are often modest enough to buy outright. Where the option applies it is shown on the listing. For a larger capillary instrument it can be worth discussing with the seller.