Electroelution Chamber

This electroelution chamber was used by scientists at Genentech, a biotechnology company, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Electroelution is a technique for removing proteins and other molecules from the gel matrix of gel electrophoresis.

Sections of the gel containing the desired sample were excised and placed into a piece of dialysis tubing. The tubing was secured to the bottom of the chamber using small clips buried in a layer of modeling clay at the bottom of the chamber. Once tubing was secured, the chamber was filled with a buffer solution. An electric current was run through the chamber, causing molecules of interest to migrate across the dialysis tubing into the buffer, from which they were collected.

The modeling clay was not originally part of the chamber, but was purchased from a toy store and pressed onto the bottom of the chamber by scientists in order to provide a way to secure the clips to the bottom.

Source:

Interview with Dan Yansura, Genentech scientist, 12/20/2012

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