We often tend to use gel elution kits offered by various companies to get our DNA fragment out of agarose gels for cloning and other molecular biology processes. The protocol for eluting DNA using commercial kits is time consuming (even more if u wish to elute multiple bands) and involves toxic chemicals. Here I would to bring to your notice an efficient substitute for gel elution kits–‘Freeze ‘N Squeeze’ columns from Bio-RAD.
DNA gel extraction spin columns provide a quick and effective means to purify double-stranded DNA fragments from TAE- or TBE-buffered agarose gels. The protocol is devoid of any solution and one just need to pick DNA band and freeze for 5 mints in freezer and remove and place in provided special bio-rad column. Spin at max speed in a centrifuge and your DNA is collected in bottom tube, which is ready for subsequent PCR, subcloning, ligations, and sequencing reactions.
These columns can be used to elute DNA fragments from agarose gels in the range of 50–23,000 bp.