Ethidium Bromide

What is it?

A potential carcinogen that is routinely used in research labs and often mishandled.  

What is it used for?

Ethidium bromide is an intercalating agent that interacts with nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) to form a fluorescent tag.  Ethidium bromide is routinely used in agarose electrophoresis for detection of DNA and RNA under UV light.

The carcinogen is either added directly to the agarose gels or the running buffers used during electrophoresis.  This results in large volumes of liquid contaminated with ethidium bromide.

Is it really harmful?

The main reason that ethidium bromide is thought to be a mutagen or carcinogen is based on its function.  Ethidium bromide intercalates, inserts itself between, double stranded DNA that results in DNA deformation.  This disruption to the DNA structure can affect key biological functions including DNA replication and transcription. There exists cursory and conflicting data about ethidium bromides mutagenic effects.

Are there safer alternatives?

Yes!

LabSafe Nucleic Acid Stain

LabSafe™ Nucleic Acid Stain is a new and safe nucleic acid stain for the visualization of double-stranded DNA, single-stranded DNA, and RNA in agarose gels. The dye is developed to replace toxic Ethidium Bromide.

LabSafe™ Nucleic Acid Stain is non-carcinogenic by the Ames-test. The results are negative in both the mouse marrow chromophilous erythrocyte micronucleus and mouse primary spermatocyte chromosomal aberration tests.

For more details and other agarose electrophoresis products, download our Molecular Biology Handbook