XCell4 SureLock™ Midi-Cell - FAQs

The XCell4 Displacement Dam is used when fewer than 3 gels are run in the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell. The Displacement Dam is placed in the lower buffer chamber instead of a second buffer core. Do not add any buffer or water to the Displacement Dam. However, if water or buffer is accidentally added to the Displacement Dam, it does not affect the electrophoresis run.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

Recommended maximum load volumes:
12 + 2-well gel: 45 µL in sample well, 15 µL in marker well
20-well gel: 25 µL
26-well gel: 15 µL

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You will need a Midi Gel Adapter. The Midi Gel Adapter is a self-adhesive, upper buffer chamber used when running the NuPAGE Invitrogen Midi-Gel in a Bio-Rad Criterion Cell. The Midi Gel Adapter may be filled with up to 60 mL of buffer. The Midi Gel Adapters are available packaged with the Midi-Gels (Invitrogen and NuPAGE Invitrogen Midi Gels with Cat. Nos. that end in "A") and also on their own in packages of 10 (Cat. No. WA0999). Running the NuPAGE Midi-Gels in the XCell4 SureLock Gel Apparatus does not require the use of the Midi Gel Adapter.

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Multichannel pipette compatibility: 12+2-well (8- and 12-channel pipette-compatible) and 26-well (8- and 12-channel pipette-compatible).
The 12-channel pipettes work with the 26-well gels. You will need to alternate lanes (e.g., aligns with every two lanes). There will be two extra lanes (for MW markers). The 12-channel pipettes work with the 12+2 well gels as well.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

We recommend using Invitrogen Power Supply Adapters (Cat. No. ZA10001) to help you connect the leads to your power supply. These adapters are supplied along with the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell. If these adapters don't work, you may contact the manufacturer of the power supply to see if other options are available.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

Here are possible causes and solutions:

- Tape has not been removed from the bottom of the cassette. Remove tape from the bottom of the cassette.
- Connection to power supply not complete. Check all connections with a voltmeter for conductance.
- Insufficient buffer level. Make sure the buffer in the Upper Buffer Chamber (cathode) is covering the wells. Be sure there is sufficient buffer (up to the fill line) in the Lower Buffer Chamber.
- Buffer is leaking from the Upper Buffer Chamber. If the level of running buffer drops, it indicates that the electrophoresis core and cassettes are not properly seated. Repeat the assembly and check to ensure the XCell4 SureLock Assembly is in the locked position.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

Here are possible causes and solutions:

- Voltage is set too low. Set correct voltage as described in the manual.
- Buffers are too dilute. Check buffer recipe; re-make if necessary.
- Upper buffer chamber is leaking. Make sure the buffer core is firmly seated. If you are using the buffer dam, make sure the dam is properly positioned in the core. If the core gasket is damaged, replace with a fresh gasket. Check to ensure that the XCell4 SureLock Assembly is in the locked position.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

We recommend washing the unit with a mild detergent and rinsing with deionized water after each use.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

The XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell should be used with an external DC power supply designed for electrophoresis. This power supply must:

- Be isolated from the ground so that the DC output is floating (safety requirement)and must be equipped with No Load or Open Circuit protection
- Be able to operate at 200 V

If you would like to simultaneously run 4 gels using the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell, we recommend using the ZOOM Dual Power Supply. The Low Voltage/High Current outlets can handle the voltage and current of 4 NuPAGE Bis-Tris gels (Voltage 200 V, Current ~800 mA). The PowerEase 90W Power Supply and PowerEase 500 Power Supply (discontinued as of December 31, 2013) can be used with the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell but the current limit of 500 mA will be reached with 2 gels (2 x ~200 mA max current at 200V). If 4 gels are run in the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell with these power supplies, the current will be maxed out and the run will slow down. It will take approximately twice as long to run the gels. Note: To allow connection of the covered power leads of the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell with certain power supplies that are not designed for use with covered or non-retractable power leads, use Invitrogen Power Supply Adapters available separately (Cat. No. ZA10001).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

We do not recommend using the gel tension wedge that is supplied with the XCell SureLock Mini-Cell for the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell as it is specifically designed for the Mini-Cell and will not fit correctly in the Midi-Cell.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

The XCell4 SureLock Assembly or CAM is similar to a gel tension wedge. The positive locking action of the XCell SureLock Assembly ensures trouble-free, leak-free electrophoresis of protein gels. Move the lever on the XCell SureLock Assembly to a locked position to generate an even horizontal force which seals the gel cassette/Buffer Core assembly firmly into position in the Lower Buffer Chamber. The locked and unlocked positions are marked on the XCell SureLock Assembly for easy, intuitive assembly.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

Use the XCell4 Displacement Dam when you wish to run less than 3 gels in the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell. The Displacement Dam is placed in the Lower Buffer Chamber instead of a second Buffer Core. Do not add any buffer or water to the Displacement Dam. However, if water or buffer is accidentally added to the Displacement Dam, it does not affect the electrophoresis run.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

The XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell is impervious to alcohol, but not compatible with chlorinated hydrocarbons (e.g., chloroform), aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., toluene, benzene) or acetone.

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Here are the replacement parts we offer for the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell. They can only be ordered by phone:

- XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell Lid: Cat. No. WR0101
- XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell Lower Buffer Chamber: Cat. No. WR0102
- XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell Displacement Dam: Cat. No. WR0106
- XCell SureLock Upgrade kit: Cat. No. WR0112 (contains 1 SureLock Assembly, 1 buffer dam, and 2 cores) Please note that in addition to ordering on the phone by calling Customer Service, this item can also be ordered using the “Quick Order” link (https://www.thermofisher.com/store/quick-order) that can be found at the top right of most pages on our website. The price will display when the item is added to your shopping cart.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Gel Electrophoresis Chambers, Power Supplies, and Accessories Support Center.

No. While the NuPAGE Invitrogen Midi Gels are compatible with the Bio-Rad Criterion system (when the specific adapter is used), the Bio-Rad Criterion gels will not work with the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell. Note: Our Mini gels are not compatible with the Bio-Rad Mini-PROTEAN apparatus.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

Yes, the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell is designed to perform simultaneous vertical electrophoresis of 1-4 midi-gels. Use the XCell4 Displacement Dam when you wish to run less than 3 gels in the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell. The Displacement Dam is placed in the Lower Buffer Chamber instead of a second Buffer Core. Do not add any buffer or water to the Displacement Dam. However, if water or buffer is accidentally added to the Displacement Dam, it does not affect the electrophoresis run.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

Our Midi gels can be run using the XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.

The XCell4 SureLock Midi-Cell includes the lower buffer chamber, lid with cables, two buffer cores, buffer dam, displacement dam, SureLock assembly, and gel knife. For descriptions and images of the various parts, please refer to pages 1-3 of the product manual (https://assets.thermofisher.com/TFS-Assets/LSG/manuals/xcell4_midicell_man.pdf).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Electrophoresis and Western Blotting Support Center.