Coomassie Brilliant Blue

Coomassie brilliant blue, often referred to simply as Coomassie, a triphenylmethane dye, which is used for example to stain proteins. It binds to the basic amino acid side chains and thus stained proteins on nonspecific. Originally, this dye was used for the textile industry.

Applications

Typically, Coomassie brilliant blue R -250 is used, for example, for coloring the separated proteins in a polyacrylamide gel. It is also used in the 2D - gel electrophoresis, visualizing the separate protein spots.

Coomassie Brilliant Blue G -250 is also used for quantification of the protein content of aqueous solutions according to the method of Bradford.

In addition to methylene blue and Coomassie brilliant blue used for the permanent coloring is not suitable for human consumption of meat and offal.

The detection limit of Coomassie R-250 is approximately 0.1 micrograms of protein per band in a gel for Coomassie G- 250 at about 0.5 micrograms. Coomassie G -250 However, proteins can be stained much faster. As colloidal solutions improve Special Formula tions, the detection limit of Coomassie G -250 to approximately 5 ng of protein per band.

Coomassie brilliant blue G -250 is also used in eye surgery. Due to the reduced toxicity compared to the previously used dyes ( indocyanine green or trypan blue ) are triphenylmethane dyes such as Coomassie brilliant blue G -250, patent blue V or Coomassie R200 for staining of naturally existing or pathologically altered structures ( gliosis ) used violet in mind. With the help of these dyes can be especially the transparent structures of the retina, cornea or the lens capsule specifically stain and remove if necessary surgery. For the technique of staining of tissue on the retina is the technical term for the Chromovitrektomie has established.

Name

The name of the Coomassie brilliant blue, originally developed as a wool dye comes from the African city of Kumasi in Ghana. It was in memory of the British occupation of the then Ashanti capital Coomassie - today Kumasi - elected in 1896. Coomassie ® is a registered trademark of Imperial Chemical Industries.

The suffix " R " in the name Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 is an abbreviation of the English name " reddish ", in German as " reddish ". The suffix " G" in the name of Coomassie Brilliant Blue G -250 is an abbreviation for "greenish ", in German so for greenish. The number 250 in the name refers to the color intensity with which the original manufacturer, Imperial Chemical Industries, the coloring described quantitatively.