Download Tech Tip: Process stained polyacrylamide gels for mass spectrometry
Silver protein stains is an ultra-sensitive method for monochromatic detection of proteins in 1D or 2D polyacrylamide gels with metallic silver ions (Ag). We offer several optimized silver staining kits depending on your research needs. If mass spectrometry is the intended downstream application, choose one of our two silver stain kits optimized for peptide recovery after in-gel trypsin digestion for mass spectrometry.
Highlights of silver stains:
- Most sensitive colorimetric method for detecting total protein, nanogram-level sensitivity can be achieved.
- Gel compatible—staining performance is very good with a variety of commercial precast gels, handcast gels and SDS-PAGE buffer-systems.
Select the silver protein gel stain for your research needs
| Pierce Silver Stain Kit | SilverXpress Silver Staining Kit | SilverQuest Silver Staining Kit | Pierce Silver Stain for Mass Spec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detection limit | 0.25 ng | 0.86 ng | 0.3 ng | 0.25 ng |
| Components | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| # of staining steps | 7 | 9 | 11 | 7 |
| Approx. staining time (for gels) | 1 hr 30 min | 2 hr | Std: 1 hr 30 min Microwave: 30 min | 1 hr 13 min |
| Staining Agent | Metallic silver ions (Ag) | Metallic silver ions (Ag) | Metallic silver ions (Ag) | Metallic silver ions (Ag) |
| Highlights | Quick staining protocol | Quick staining protocol |
| Includes destaining reagents that facilitate complete removal of silver from stained proteins for MS analysis |
| Applications | Gel staining | Gel staining |
|
|
| Catalog number | 24612 | LC6100 | LC6070 | 24600 |
The Pierce Silver Stain Kit is a rapid, ultra-sensitive and versatile silver stain system for protein detection in polyacrylamide gels, enabling consistent and reliable results with many 1D and 2D gel types. The Pierce Silver Stain Kit is a metallic silver (Ag) protein stain that yields a remarkably clear and uniform gel background while enabling consistent, high-sensitivity staining results.
Protocol
The protocol has been optimized for flexibility by allowing short or overnight gel fixation and staining steps without affecting staining performance (sensitivity or clarity). A short (one-minute) sensitization step, performed after gel fixation, enables results that are free of the characteristically dark or blotchy backgrounds often seen with homemade or other commercially available silver stains. This feature is beneficial when performing densitometric analysis of silver stained gels.
The SilverXpress Silver Staining Kit is a highly sensitive silver staining kit providing nanogram-level sensitivity with minimal background. The SilverXpress Silver Staining Kit uses ammoniacal silver chemistry and glutaraldehyde sensitization to produce a highly sensitive silver stain, capable of detecting much lower levels of protein than standard Coomassie or Colloidal Blue techniques. Clear background makes sample identification unambiguous and helps provide publication-quality gels.
Protocol
The easy-to-follow protocol requires less total time than standard Coomassie staining and is typically complete in a little over 1 hour.
The SilverQuest Silver Staining Kit provides a rapid and easy method to silver stain proteins and DNA in polyacrylamide gels. Silver staining allows detection of most proteins since it is 30-fold more sensitive than staining with colloidal Coomassie G-250. The SilverQuest Silver Staining Kit is specifically designed to provide sensitive silver staining compatible with mass spectrometry analysis.
Protocol
The easy to perform protocol takes about 1hr. Additionally, the protocol is flexible–fix gel for 15 to 30 minutes or overnight without any effect on staining performance; stain for 1 to 30 minutes (typically 2 to 3 minutes).
Pierce Silver Stain for Mass Spectrometry is a complete kit for the rapid and sensitive silver staining of proteins in polyacrylamide gels and the efficient destaining of excised gel pieces for mass spectrometry analysis.
This silver staining kit for mass spectrometry (MS) bundles components of the high-performance Pierce Silver Stain Kit with reagents optimized to destain spots for subsequent in-gel tryptic digestion to recover peptide fragments for proteomics analysis. The resulting MS-compatible product and protocol deliver outstanding sensitivity and help maintain favorable conditions for high-yield recovery and identification (sequence coverage) of proteins by mass spectrometry.
Protocol
The easy to perform protocol takes about 1hr. Additionally, the protocol is flexible–fix gel for 15 to 30 minutes or overnight without any effect on staining performance; stain for 1 to 30 minutes (typically 2 to 3 minutes).
Select the silver protein gel stain for your research needs
| Pierce Silver Stain Kit | SilverXpress Silver Staining Kit | SilverQuest Silver Staining Kit | Pierce Silver Stain for Mass Spec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detection limit | 0.25 ng | 0.86 ng | 0.3 ng | 0.25 ng |
| Components | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| # of staining steps | 7 | 9 | 11 | 7 |
| Approx. staining time (for gels) | 1 hr 30 min | 2 hr | Std: 1 hr 30 min Microwave: 30 min | 1 hr 13 min |
| Staining Agent | Metallic silver ions (Ag) | Metallic silver ions (Ag) | Metallic silver ions (Ag) | Metallic silver ions (Ag) |
| Highlights | Quick staining protocol | Quick staining protocol |
| Includes destaining reagents that facilitate complete removal of silver from stained proteins for MS analysis |
| Applications | Gel staining | Gel staining |
|
|
| Catalog number | 24612 | LC6100 | LC6070 | 24600 |
The Pierce Silver Stain Kit is a rapid, ultra-sensitive and versatile silver stain system for protein detection in polyacrylamide gels, enabling consistent and reliable results with many 1D and 2D gel types. The Pierce Silver Stain Kit is a metallic silver (Ag) protein stain that yields a remarkably clear and uniform gel background while enabling consistent, high-sensitivity staining results.
Protocol
The protocol has been optimized for flexibility by allowing short or overnight gel fixation and staining steps without affecting staining performance (sensitivity or clarity). A short (one-minute) sensitization step, performed after gel fixation, enables results that are free of the characteristically dark or blotchy backgrounds often seen with homemade or other commercially available silver stains. This feature is beneficial when performing densitometric analysis of silver stained gels.
The SilverXpress Silver Staining Kit is a highly sensitive silver staining kit providing nanogram-level sensitivity with minimal background. The SilverXpress Silver Staining Kit uses ammoniacal silver chemistry and glutaraldehyde sensitization to produce a highly sensitive silver stain, capable of detecting much lower levels of protein than standard Coomassie or Colloidal Blue techniques. Clear background makes sample identification unambiguous and helps provide publication-quality gels.
Protocol
The easy-to-follow protocol requires less total time than standard Coomassie staining and is typically complete in a little over 1 hour.
The SilverQuest Silver Staining Kit provides a rapid and easy method to silver stain proteins and DNA in polyacrylamide gels. Silver staining allows detection of most proteins since it is 30-fold more sensitive than staining with colloidal Coomassie G-250. The SilverQuest Silver Staining Kit is specifically designed to provide sensitive silver staining compatible with mass spectrometry analysis.
Protocol
The easy to perform protocol takes about 1hr. Additionally, the protocol is flexible–fix gel for 15 to 30 minutes or overnight without any effect on staining performance; stain for 1 to 30 minutes (typically 2 to 3 minutes).
Pierce Silver Stain for Mass Spectrometry is a complete kit for the rapid and sensitive silver staining of proteins in polyacrylamide gels and the efficient destaining of excised gel pieces for mass spectrometry analysis.
This silver staining kit for mass spectrometry (MS) bundles components of the high-performance Pierce Silver Stain Kit with reagents optimized to destain spots for subsequent in-gel tryptic digestion to recover peptide fragments for proteomics analysis. The resulting MS-compatible product and protocol deliver outstanding sensitivity and help maintain favorable conditions for high-yield recovery and identification (sequence coverage) of proteins by mass spectrometry.
Protocol
The easy to perform protocol takes about 1hr. Additionally, the protocol is flexible–fix gel for 15 to 30 minutes or overnight without any effect on staining performance; stain for 1 to 30 minutes (typically 2 to 3 minutes).
Resources
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.