Bio-Rad Bio-Gel P Polyacrylamide Gel User Manual

Bio-Gel®P

Polyacrylamide Gel
Instruction Manual

Table of Contents

Section 1 Introduction.............................................................1

Section 2 Technical Description .............................................3

Section 3 Instructions for Use ................................................6

3.1 Column Selection................................................................6

3.2 Eluant Selection...................................................................6

3.3 Preparation of the Gel..........................................................8

Section 4 Sample....................................................................12

Section 5 Void Volume Determination and Calibration....14

Section 6 Sanitation and Sterilization .................................15

Section 7 Storage...................................................................15

Section 8 Flow Rate Determination.....................................16

Section 9 Ordering Information ..........................................18

Section 1
Introduction

Bio-Gel P gels are porous polyacrylamide beads prepared by
copolymerization of acrylamide and N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide.
The gels are extremely hydrophilic and essentially free of charge,
and provide efficient, gentle gel filtration of sensitive compounds.
Their synthetic composition and freedom from soluble impurities
preclude eluate contamination. High resolution is assured by consis­tent narrow distribution of bead diameters and excellent molecular
weight discrimination.

Bio-Gel P gel is compatible with dilute organic acids, 8 M urea,
6 M guanidine-HCl, chaotropic agents, reducing agents such as dithio­threitol and mercaptoethanol, and detergents such as SDS, CHAPS,
and Triton
tilled water however, buffers of > 50 mM ionic strength are recom­mended for most protein separations.

Bio-Gel P gel. Alcohol up to 20% will not substantially alter the

®

X-100. Bio-Gel P gel may be used effectively with dis-

Miscible organic solvents may be added to the eluants used with

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exclusion properties of the gel, and will in some cases enhance
separation of complex mixtures of poorly water soluble small
molecules such as nucleotides, peptides, and tannins. Formamide
may be used at full strength, because Bio-Gel P gel is completely
swelled by this solvent.

Bio-Gel P gel is autoclavable at pH 5.5-6.0 in buffers such as
50 mM HEPES, MES, or citrate at 120 °C for 15-30 minutes. At
room temperature, the recommended operating pH range is 2-10.
Bio-Gel P gel is susceptible to hydrolysis of amide groups at higher
or lower pH. Flow rate and resolution increase with temperature over
the range of 4-80 °C.

Section 2
Technical Description

Table 1. Bio-Gel P Gel Product Description

Matrix Bio-Gel polyacrylamide gel

Particle size

Medium 90-180 µm
Fine 45-90 µm
Extra fine < 45 µm

Shipping medium Shipped dry
Resistance

pH 2-10
Pressure 15 psi
Organic solvents < 20%
Working temperature range 4-80 °C
Temperature limits Autoclavable, at pH 5.5-6.5, at

120 °C for 30 min

Storage Dry, at r oom temperature; in dis-

tilled water or aqueous buffers
at 4 °C with 0.02% sodium azide

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3

Table 2. Properties of Bio-Gel P-Gels

Particle Size Hydrated Bed Range/Nominal

Gel Beads (µM) of Dry Gel Rates (cm/hr)* (Daltons)**, †

Bio-Gel P-2 Gel, Fine 45-90 3 5.0-10 100-1,800
Bio-Gel P-2 Gel, Extra Fine < 45 <10 100-1,800

Bio-Gel P-4 Gel, Medium 90-180 4 15-20 800-4,000
Bio-Gel P-4 Gel, Fine 45-90 10.0-15 800-4,000
Bio-Gel P-4 Gel, Extra Fine < 45 <10 800-4,000

Bio-Gel P-6 Gel, Medium 90-180 6.5 15-20 1,000-6,000
Bio-Gel P-6 Gel, Fine 45-90 10.0-15 1,000-6,000
Bio-Gel P-6 Gel, Extra Fine < 45 <10 1,000-6,000

Bio-Gel P-6DG Gel 90-180 6.5 15-20 1,000-6,000
Bio-Gel P-10 Gel, Medium 90-180 7.5 15-20 1,500-20,000

Bio-Gel P-10 Gel, Fine 45-90 10.0-15 1,500-20,000
Bio-Gel P-30 Gel, Medium 90-180 9 7.0-13 2,500-40,000

Bio-Gel P-30 Gel, Fine 45-90 6.0-11 2,500-40,000
Bio-Gel P-60 Gel, Medium 90-180 11 4.0-6 3,000-60,000

Bio-Gel P-60 Gel, Fine 45-90 3.0-5 3,000-60,000
Bio-Gel P-100 Gel, Medium 90-180 12 4.0-6 5,000-100,000

Bio-Gel P-100 Gel, Fine 45-90 3.0-5 5,000-100,000

Range, Hydrated Volume, ml/g Typical Flow Exclusion Limit

Typical Fractionation

Typical

* Flow rates determined in a 1.5 x 70 cm

column, using a hydrostatic pressure
head:bed of 1:1.

** Fractionation ranges above 40,000 dal-

tons are for globular molecules.

† For quality control purposes, the exclu-

sion limits are determined by calculating
the Kd, or distribution coefficient. The
distribution coefficient is a measure of
the residence time of a molecule in the
pores of the gel, and is expressed as:

(V

- Vo)/(Vt- Vo), where Veis the elution

e

volume of the individual proteins, V
the void volume and V
able volume measured by a small
molecule such as vitamin B

is the total avail-

t

is

o

.

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4

5

Section 3
Instructions For Use

3.1 Column Selection

The ideal column dimensions will be those that allow baseline
resolution of analytes without significant sample dilution. Typically,
the column length to diameter ratio will be between 5 and 10 and a
bed volume 4 to 20 times the volume of the sample. The minimal
dilution factor that can be obtained for an excluded substance is
approximately 1.25. Difficult fractionation procedures generally
require bed length to diameter ratios of 25 to 100 or greater and bed
volumes 25 to 100 times the sample volume.

3.2 Eluant Selection

The eluant chosen should provide maximum stability for labile
sample solutes. The ionic strength should be at least 20 mM to elim­inate the effect of small amounts of negatively charged groups on
the gel. Using highly concentrated salt solutions may cause small
changes in gel bed volume and exclusion limits.

6

Bio-Gel P gel is compatible with solubilizing and denaturing con­ditions used in molecular weight determinations such as 6 M guani­dine-HCl, chaotropic agents, reducing agents such as dithiothreitol
and mercaptoethanol, and detergents such as SDS, CHAPS, and
Triton X-100.

Volatile buffer salts, for example pyridine, acetic acid, ammonium
formate, or ammonium bicarbonate, may be employed if the final
product must be free of buffer salts. These substances are easily
removed from effluent fractions by lyophilization.

Removal of dissolved gases, primarily carbon dioxide, should be
performed to prevent bubble formation within the system. This is
done by aspirating the buffer in a vacuum flask either with a water aspi­rator or central vacuum source.

The use of eluants with pH above 10 or below 2 should be avoid­ed to prevent hydrolysis of the gel. Strong oxidizing agents should be
avoided because they will react with the gel and increase the con­tent of charged groups on the matrix.

7

Fig. 1. Fig. 2.

Fig. 3. Fig. 4.

3.3 Preparation of the Gel

1. Gradually add dry Bio-Gel P media to buffer in a beaker. The
amount of Bio-Gel P gel required to pack a column of known
volume may be estimated by using the hydrated bed volume
given in Table 2. Allow for gel loss during handling. Use twice
as much buffer as the expected packed bed volume (Figure 1).

2. Allow Bio-Gel P-2 through P-10 gels to hydrate 4 hours at room
temperature (1 hour if buffer was previously brought to 100 °C
and then allowed to cool after addition of gel). Bio-Gel P-30
through P-100 gels will require 12 hours at 20 °C, or 4 hours
starting at 100 °C. After initial uniform suspension of beads is
established, it is not necessary to stir; let settle during hydration
(Figure 2).

3. After hydration is complete, decant half of supernatant (Figure 3).
Transfer the solution to a filter flask and attach to a vacuum
source. Degas the solution for 5-10 minutes with occasional
swirling of the flask (Figure 4). Do not use a stir bar, as it may
damage the gel.

4. Add two bed volumes of degassed buffer and swirl gel gently.
Allow gel to settle until 90-95% of the particles have settled.
Decant or remove supernatant by suction to remove fines. Repeat
up to 4 times to remove > 90% of the fines.

98

Fig. 5. Fig. 6.

5. Affix a funnel to top of column, close column exit, and add
enough buffer to fill 20% of column (Figure 5).

6. Pour the even slurry into the column in a single, smooth move­ment. Avoid splashing the slurry, to insure even packing, and to
avoid trapping air bubbles (Figure 6).

7. When a 2-5 cm bed has formed, allow column to flow until the
column is packed.

8. When the column is packed, close the column outlet and insert the
flow adaptor. Open the column outlet and pass 2 bed volumes
of buffer through the column at the operating flow rate.

9. Close the outlet and adjust the flow adaptor down to the level of
the gel bed. Load sample onto the upper bed surface by pumping
or injecting sample onto the gel bed through the flow adaptor. If
sample is injected, the injection flow rate should not exceed the
recommended elution flow rate.

10. If a flow adaptor is not to be used, remove excess gel to the
desired bed height once the column is packed and attach column
to a reservoir. Pass 2 bed volumes of buffer through the column
at the operating flow rate. Drain the buffer down to the level of
the gel bed and layer the sample carefully onto the upper bed
surface, allowing it to drain into the bed. Follow this with addi-

1110

tional buffer to wash the sample into the bed. Replace the super­natant buffer and attach column to reservoir.

11. Collect fractions for analysis, or monitor with continuous flow
equipment such as UV/Vis, conductivity, and refractive index
monitors.

Section 4
Sample

Gel filtration is largely independent of sample concentration. The
volume of the sample relative to the bed volume is far more impor­tant. For analytical purposes the sample should not be larger than
1-5% of the bed volume, whereas for desalting the sample can be as
large as 30-35% of the bed volume. The viscosity of the sample may
limit the concentration of sample which can be used. V iscous samples
may be diluted to decrease the viscosity. It may be possible to achieve
better results by applying viscous samples at a lower flow rate. The
sample should be clear, and completely dissolved in running buffer,
without particles or solid contaminants. Filtration of samples will
increase column life. If, due to the nature of the sample, it is not pos-

sible to filter it, the sample should be centrifuged until it is clear.
Figure 7 shows the hypothetical effects of various chromatographic
conditions.

Fig. 7. Aberations in gel
chromatography elution

a

b

c

d

e

profiles (hypothetical).
a. Satisfactory separation.
b. Sample volume too large or

bed too short. c. Eluant flow rate
too high or gel particle size too
large. d. Poor sample
application, nonuniform cross­sectional bed resistance, or large
dead space volume. e. Sample
viscosity too high.

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Section 5
Void Volume Determination
and Calibration

The void volume (Vo) of the bed is equal to the elution volume (Ve)
of excluded material. The void volume of the bed should be determined
and the bed should be tested for uniformity of eluant flow before
applying experimental sample. Colored proteins such as hemoglobin
or ferritin are convenient for this procedure. Blue dextran is not
recommended for V
may give variable results. It also may bind nonspecifically to the gel.

Using standard protein allows verification of the column pack­ing and protein elution. It also allows comparison of different columns,
and different packing material, without wasting precious sample.
Bio-Rad's Gel Filtration Standard is a mixture of five proteins with
known relative molecular weights; thyroglobulin (M
gamma globulin (M
myoglobin (M

determination because it is heterogeneous and

o

670,000), bovine

158,000), chicken ovalbumin (Mr44,000), equine

r

17,000), and vitamin B12(Mr1,350). Vitamin B

r

r

and myoglobin are visible and can be seen as they migrate through the
column.

Section 6
Sanitation and Sterilization

Bio-Gel P gel can be sterilized within a column by using 3%
hydrogen peroxide in water, ethanol solutions (the gel will shrink
slightly in alcohol), diethyl pyrocarbonate, or thimerosal 1:10,000.
Hydrated Bio-Gel P gel can be autoclaved at pH 5.5-6.5, at 120 °C,
for 30 minutes. When autoclaving, the gel may swell 4-25 times the
original volume. Swelling increases with increased pore size.

Section 7
Storage

Packed columns of Bio-Gel P gel can be stored indefinitely if

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maintained at neutral pH in the presence of a bacteriostat such as

0.02% sodium azide. Packed columns should be stored at 4 °C.

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Section 8
Flow Rate Determination

Gel filtration is a diffusion controlled process: the efficiency of
resolution depends on flow rate and gel bead size uniformity . Highest
resolution is obtained when the flow rate is maintained in the range
of 2-10 cm/hr.** For a linear flow rate of 5 cm/hr, corresponding
column flow rates are obtained by multiplying by the column cross
sectional area:

Table 3. Flow Rate Determination

Recommended
Linear Flow Rate* Column Cross Sectional Column Flow
cm/hr** Diameter Area (cm2) Rate ml/hr

5 0.7 0.385 1.9
5 1.0 0.785 3.9
5 1.5 1.77 8.9
5 2.5 4.91 25
5 5.0 19.6 98

* In a 1.5 x 70 cm column. Flow rates will decrease with increasing

column length.

** ml/hr/cm

2

(cross sectional area) = cm3/hr/cm2= cm/hr

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Increases in column diameter (cross sectional area) dramatically
increase throughput and flow rate (ml/hr). Maximum resolution is
achieved with the smallest bead diameter ranges (extra fine or fine
sizes). The highest flow rates are obtained with the medium sized
beads. The flow rate and resolution desired for the application, as
well as exclusion limit and fractionation range, should be considered
when selecting the appropriate gel filtration matrix.

Econo-Column

®

glass chromatography columns are ideally suited
for use with Bio-Gel gel filtration media. The standard Econo-Column
chromatography columns come in six diameters, ranging from

0.5 to 5.0 cm, with lengths from 4 to 170 cm. These columns are
autoclavable and possess a bed support which can retain particles
greater than 20 µm. Note that some extra fine bead sizes for Bio-Gel
P gel are not compatible with Econo-Column chromatography
columns. For Econo-Column column and accessory ordering infor­mation, consult the Bio-Rad catalog.

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Section 9
Ordering Information

Catalog
Number Product Description Comments

150-4114 Bio-Gel P-2 Gel, Fine, 100 g Rapid carbohydrate and small peptide separations and desalting.
150-4115 Bio-Gel P-2 Gel, Fine, 500 g Fractionation range of 100-1,800.
150-4118 Bio-Gel P-2 Gel, Extra Fine, 100 g

150-4120 Bio-Gel P-4 Gel, Medium, 100 g Rapid carbohydrate and small peptide separations and desalting.
150-4124 Bio-Gel P-4 Gel, Fine, 100 g Fractionation range of 800-4,000.
150-4128 Bio-Gel P-4 Gel, Extra Fine, 100 g

150-4130 Bio-Gel P-6 Gel, Medium, 100 g Purification of proteins and polypeptides.Fractionation range of 1,000-6,000.
150-4134 Bio-Gel P-6 Gel, Fine, 100 g
150-4138 Bio-Gel P-6 Gel, Extra Fine, 100 g

150-0738 Bio-Gel P-6DG Gel, 100 g Gel most highly suited for protein desalting or buffer exchange. Fractionation
150-0739 Bio-Gel P-6DG Gel, 1 kg range of 1,000-6,000. Also available in prepacked columns and cartridges.

150-4140 Bio-Gel P-10 Gel, Medium, 100 g Purification of proteins and polypeptides. Fractionation range of 1,500-20,000.
150-4144 Bio-Gel P-10 Gel, Fine, 100 g

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Catalog
Number Product Description Comments

150-4150 Bio-Gel P-30 Gel, Medium, 100 g Purification of proteins and polypeptides. Fractionation range of 2,500-40,000.
150-4154 Bio-Gel P-30 Gel, Fine, 100 g

150-4160 Bio-Gel P-60 Gel, Medium, 100 g Purification of proteins and polypeptides. Fractionation range of 3,000-60,000.
150-4164 Bio-Gel P-60 Gel, Fine, 100 g

150-4170 Bio-Gel P-100 Gel, Medium, 100 g Purification of proteins and polypeptides. Fractionation range of
150-4174 Bio-Gel P-100 Gel, Fine,100 g 5,000-100,000.

151-1901 Gel Filtration Standard Contains thyroglobulin (5 mg), bovine gamma globulin (5 mg), chicken ovalbu-

min (5 mg), equine myoglobin (2.5 mg), and vitamin B12, 0.5 (mg).

®

is a registered trademark of Rohm and Haas.

Triton

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Bio-Rad Laboratories, 2000 Alfred Nobel Dr ., Hercules, CA 94547

LIT174 Rev B