Improved sensitivity of detection with the commercial automated gel electrophoresis (HPGE-1000) apparatus through modification of its optical system.

In a representative application to a fluorescently detectable protein of commercial automated gel electrophoresis apparatus (HPGE-1000, LabIntelligence, Belmont, CA) the sensitivity of detection by fluorescence was significantly increased by elimination of the mirror below the gel tray. That increase in detection sensitivity is due to a decrease of fluorescent background noise by nearly one order of magnitude, overcompensating a decrease in signal by a factor of two. The resulting increase in signal/noise ratio, i.e., detection sensitivity, should allow for lowered sample loads by which the band width is reduced with benefits to resolution.