Swap out toxic EtBrRedSafe Nucleic Acid Staining Solution is a safer alternative to traditional ethidium bromide (EtBr) for visualizing DNA and RNA in agarose gels. It uses the same “in-gel” workflow and delivers detection sensitivity comparable to EtBr, but with a key advantage: RedSafe shows far fewer mutations in the Ames test. As a result, it is not classified as hazardous waste and can typically be disposed of following standard laboratory procedures.
Documents:
User Manual
Technical Note
SDS
A safer alternative to ethidium bromide
MIDORI Green Advance stains single- and double-stranded nucleic acids with sensitivity comparable to ethidium bromide (EtBr). Like EtBr, it’s added directly to molten agarose during gel casting, making it an easy drop-in swap for most existing workflows.
You can still use standard UV transilluminators and common filter sets, but MIDORI Green Advance performs best with blue LED and especially Blue/Green LED illuminators and gel documentation systems. These visible-light systems are a great pairing because you can work without face shields or goggles when imaging or excising bands. Just as importantly, blue/green light does not cross-link DNA, helping preserve DNA integrity for downstream steps like cloning.
MIDORI Green Advance is highly sensitive, including for small DNA fragments, and can be used at dilutions up to 1:25,000. Practically, 4–6 µL is sufficient for a 100 mL agarose gel, so a 1 mL tube can stain roughly 17–25 liters of agarose gel.
Thoroughly evaluated for lab safety
MIDORI Green Advance is positioned as a non-toxic, non-mutagenic alternative to traditional EtBr. It has been assessed using multiple safety assays. Compared with EtBr (a known strong mutagen), MIDORI Green Advance shows substantially lower mutagenicity in the Ames test, a standard screen for mutagenic potential. It also reports negative results in additional genotoxicity testing (including assays such as the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test and chromosome aberration test), supporting its classification as non-carcinogenic in these test contexts.
On the toxicity side, MIDORI Green stains are described as non-toxic and are often handled as non-hazardous waste under typical lab disposal procedures (unlike EtBr and some other “safe” dyes that still require hazardous handling). For users who want extra reassurance, MIDORI Green Advance is also reported to be resistant to latex/nitrile glove penetration even after extended exposure (e.g., 6 hours).
Three MIDORI Green options, tuned to different workflows
The MIDORI Green family includes three related green-fluorescent stains designed for different use cases:
• MIDORI Green Advance: Added to molten agarose before casting (EtBr-style). Delivers strong signal-to-noise and reliable sensitivity, especially when visualized with blue or Blue/Green LEDs.
• MIDORI Green Direct: Mixed directly into samples and loaded onto an unstained gel. Includes loading dye and provides sensitivity similar to (or slightly better than) Advance.
• MIDORI Green Xtra/Easy: Added to molten agarose (and buffer). Optimized for Blue/Green and blue LED excitation, delivering very high fluorescence while minimizing background because it does not stain the agarose itself. This yields excellent signal-to-noise and very sensitive detection of DNA/RNA, often described as an upgrade over EtBr.
Advance and Direct can be used with UV, though they are typically less efficient under UV than under visible LED excitation.
Safer imaging, better cloning outcomes
Using MIDORI Green dyes with blue/green LED illumination can improve downstream cloning success because it avoids UV-induced DNA damage. UV exposure during band excision can rapidly create lesions (e.g., thymine dimers) that reduce ligation and transformation efficiency, with noticeable declines after seconds to tens of seconds of exposure.
MIDORI green can boost your cloning results!
In a representative cloning experiment (restriction digest, gel separation, band excision, silica cleanup, ligation, and transformation), gels stained with MIDORI Green Direct and visualized under Blue/Green LEDs yielded markedly more positive transformants compared with EtBr stained gels viewed under UV. Even if a lab continues to use EtBr, switching from UV to Blue/Green LED illumination can immediately help preserve DNA integrity and improve cloning efficiency.
Documents:
Protocol
MSDS
Safety Report
Like Coomassie Blue, only simplerAcquaStain is a one-step, Coomassie-style protein gel stain that eliminates the usual pre-washes and destaining. Just run your gel, add AcquaStain, and bands begin to appear within seconds. No post-treatment needed.
AcquaStain is also a safer, easier alternative to many traditional dyes. It contains no harsh acids or hazardous components and is designed for straightforward disposal after use. Because it’s water-based, gels show no noticeable shrinkage or wrinkling, and proteins recovered from AcquaStain-stained gels remain fully compatible with mass spectrometry.
One step, about 10 minutesMany “fast” staining systems rely on expensive equipment or sacrifice band clarity to save time. AcquaStain delivers speed and clean results without any external apparatus. Typical gels can be stained in about 10 minutes, and you can leave gels in the stain longer (even overnight) without worrying about over-staining.
You get strong sensitivity with a crystal-clear gel background, so bands stand out sharply. AcquaStain is a teal, precipitate-free solution, and no shaking is required before use.
Protocol for Mass spectrometry:
Cut out protein band and place in microfuge tube
Add 1 ml 30% ethanol or 30% acetone (30% acetic acid may be used but will result in acetylation of N-terminus).
Incubate for 30 minutes.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all stain removed from protein (typically 2 or 3 washes are required for complete stain removal)
Process as typical for mass spec analysis.
Ideal for teaching labsAcquaStain makes it easy to run and stain gels within a standard lab class period, making it a great fit for teaching environments where time, simplicity, and consistent results matter.
Documents:
Protocol
SDS Sheet
