Cost-effective gel documentation using a web-cam.
In search for a cost effective gel documentation system applicable for different fields of molecular biology, we analyzed the capabilities of a cheap CCD-camera originally designed to capture images for transmission through the internet (web-cam) with regard to gel documentation. The camera was connected to a personal computer by universal serial bus (USB) and used for the documentation of DNA separated on agarose gels and stained by ethidium-bromide using the software provided with the camera. The web-cam provided digital images of sufficient quality for routine documentation and combined the low set-up costs of a Polaroid system with the low running costs of video capture systems, hence is ideal as a start-up system and as augmentation to existing equipment.
Goldmann
T
T
Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Research Center Borstel, Parkallee 1-40, D-23845 Borstel, Germany. tgoldmann@fz-borstel.de
Zyzik
A
A
Loeschke
S
S
Lindsay
W
W
Vollmer
E
E
D003201:Computers; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods*; D004996:Ethidium / Q000494:pharmacology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods*
D004247:DNA; D004996:Ethidium