Interpretation of Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

Overloading the wells: When too much sample is loaded into a well, it can cause the sample to leak out or spread into neighboring lanes, leading to distorted bands.
Uneven loading: Uneven loading of samples can also cause distortion of lanes. This can happen when samples are loaded too close to one side of the well, or when the pipette is not held vertically while loading.
Uneven gel: If the gel is not poured evenly or if it is not level in the gel box, this can cause distortion of lanes.
Electrophoresis conditions: Changes in the electrophoresis conditions such as voltage, running time or buffer composition can also lead to distorted lanes.
Gel preparation: Problems with gel preparation such as incomplete mixing of reagents, incomplete polymerization or bubbles can also cause distorted lanes.
Imaging issues: Finally, the imaging process can also cause distortion of lanes if the gel is not flat or if there is uneven lighting or exposure during imaging.


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