Dialysis with spin column

Spin dialysis is used for quick exchange of the buffer. It represents an alternative to phenol extraction followed by ethanol precipitation. The solution is applied on a small column of sephacryl with a small exclusion volume.

  • Prepare the column. Poke a small opening into the tip of a 500 µl reaction vial with a canula. Do not push the tip of the canula through the plastic. Fill in small glass beads to seal the opening.
  • Fill in 500 µl of Sephacryl-S200 suspended in the buffer of choice.
  • Put the small column into a 2 ml reaction vial and spin at 2000 rpm for 1 min. Discard the flow-through. Make sure that no beads are in the flow-through.
  • Carefully pipette the solution onto the gel bed. Spin at 2000 rpm for 2 min. Collect the flow-through in a new 1,5 ml reaction vial. Discard the column
Beads: Sephacryl S-200 (stored at 4¡C in 20% ethanol) gently suspend the gel and transfer 15 ml to a 20 ml falcon vial. Spin briefly at low speed, discard the supernatant and suspend in the buffer of choice (e. g. TE or Tris+100 mM NaCl). Repeat twice.