Western Blotting Apparatus

Gel electrophoresis equipment

Vertical gel tanks (electrophoresis units) hold the polyacrylamide gel and buffer. A power supply provides constant voltage or current for SDS-PAGE. Gel casters, combs, and glass or plastic plates are used to pour and run the gels.

Transfer apparatus

Wet transfer tanks use a sandwich of gel, membrane, and filter paper in buffer; semi-dry transfer systems use stacked layers with minimal buffer. Choice depends on protein size, throughput, and lab preference.

Membranes and consumables

Nitrocellulose and PVDF are the common blotting membranes. Filter paper (e.g., Whatman), sponges, and transfer buffer complete the transfer stack. Blocking solutions and antibody diluents are prepared or purchased for the detection step.

Detection and imaging

Chemiluminescence is typically detected with X-ray film or digital imagers (CCD or CMOS). Fluorescent westerns use dedicated imaging systems with appropriate filters. Content can be enriched with specific product examples and setup diagrams.