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Thermo Scientific™ Imperial™ Protein Stain
Description
Thermo Scientific™ Imperial Protein Stain is a unique, ready-to-use colorimetric stain formulated with coomassie dye R-250 that delivers fast and sensitive total protein staining performance for low nanogram-level detection of proteins in polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels.
Imperial Protein Stain is a coomassie dye reagent for detection of protein bands in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and 2D gels. The stain is a unique formulation of coomassie brilliant blue R-250 that delivers substantial improvements in protein-staining performance compared to homemade or other commercial stains. Staining results in intensely colored protein bands that are easy to photograph and document with gel imagers. This reagent is one of the most sensitive colorimetric stains available, easily detecting 3 to 6 nanograms of protein per band. The Imperial Protein Stain protocol uses simple water-wash steps rather than methanol/acetic acid fixation and destaining, which saves valuable preparation time and minimizes reagent costs.
Highlights:
- Sensitive – detects less than 3ng protein per band with the enhanced protocol (3 hours)
- Fast – ready-to-use reagent detects less than 6ng protein per band in just 20 minutes
- Robust – highly consistent, reproducible protein staining technique
- High contrast – intense purple bands are easier to photograph or scan than typical coomassie blue stains
- Versatile – compatible with downstream mass spectrometry analysis and protein sequencing
- Convenient – water washes only; no acid-fixative or methanol destaining solutions required
- Stable – 1-year room-temperature stability ensures consistent performance and saves refrigerator space
- Flexible – adjust staining and washing times to meet time- and sensitivity-requirements
Specifications
Specifications
| Content And Storage | Upon receipt store product at room temperature. |
| Detection Location | In-Blot Detection, In-Gel Detection |
| Detection Method | Colorimetric |
| Label or Dye | Coomassie |
| Quantity | 1 L |
| Target Molecule | Protein |
| Product Line | Imperial |
| Product Type | Protein Stain |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Imperial Protein Stain contains additives that help slow formation of dye-dye aggregates, which occur in all Coomassie dye-based protein staining reagents. If left undisturbed, the reagent may form visible aggregates that settle in the bottle; however, gentle mixing completely disperses these aggregates. To ensure that a homogeneous sample of the reagent is used, mix reagent before pouring or dispensing.
Here are possible causes and solutions:
- No protein was present in sample. Load a known amount of purified protein as a control.
- Insufficient amount of protein in sample. Load more total protein in gel.
- SDS not completely removed from gel. Wash gel more extensively before staining.
This is most likely due to SDS interference. We recommend washing the gel extensively before starting the staining procedure.
Yes, here (https://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/brochures/TR0050-Stained-gels-for-MS.pdf) is the procedure for processing gels stained with Imperial Stain, for mass spectrometry analysis.
With the enhanced protocol, the Imperial Protein Stain can detect less than 3 ng protein per band in 3 hours.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.