InstantBlue Abcam

InstantBlue is a ready to use Coomassie protein stain for polyacrylamide gels. Its unique mechanism of action stains proteins in 15 minutes while leaving a clear background eliminating the need to fix, wash or destain. InstantBlue is formulated for safe use and easy disposal.

InstantBlue is ready for use straight out the bottle and comes in convenient pre-mixed 1 litre volumes. Its unique patented mechanism begins to stain in moments and results are achieved within 15 minutes. Some premade and traditional home-made Coomassie R-250 stains can take 3 hours or more to fully stain gels.

There’s no need to wash, fix, microwave or destain gels when using InstantBlue. Homemade stains often require all these steps and most premade solutions require at least one. InstantBlue uses a one-step protocol and can be fully destained using standard procedures. InstantBlue’s acetic acid free formulation doesn’t methylate or acetylate protein during staining making it fully compatible with mass spectrometry.

Unparalleled sensitivity allows protein levels as low as 5 ng per band to be detected (BSA) when staining overnight. This is thanks to InstantBlue’s protein specific staining which gives a clear background, improving the signal/noise ratio of the stain. Gels can be left in InstantBlue for weeks and still come out with a crystal clear background, all without the need for destaining.

InstantBlue is non-toxic and sink disposable due to its methanol free composition. Other stains require solvent disposal procedures and can require microwaving which produces dangerous fumes. InstantBlue’s effective staining and safe composition means there’s no need for microwaving, solvent disposal, or fume hoods. The lack of methanol also means no gel shrinkage.

Economical staining with only 25ml per mini-gel allows you to use less InstantBlue. Homemade solutions and some pre-mixed solutions require about 50-100ml of stain per gel. InstantBlue will stain at least 40 mini-gels per bottle.

Features & Benefits:
Ultra-fast staining – Results in 15 minutes or less
Single step procedure – No washing, fixing, microwaving or destaining
High sensitivity – 5ng bands detectable*
Clear background – High signal/noise ratio
Flexible – No over staining
Quantitative – Batch to batch consistency
Efficient – Only 25ml per gel
Safe composition – Non-toxic. No fume hood or solvent disposal required
Methanol free – No gel shrinkage or protein methylation
Acetic acid free – No protein aceylation
MS Compatible 1 – Destainable. No residual methylation or acetylation