Guidelines & Protocols
Please refer to the sample submission page for instructions on how to submit samples to the MAP Core.
Project-specific guidelines are available upon request.
Avoiding Keratin Contamination
Keratin contamination is a common problem with mass spectrometry analysis. Sources of keratin contamination include contact with skin, hair, dust, clothing, and latex gloves. If keratin is present in high concentrations, signal loss and a decrease in protein identifications may occur. Below are a few tips that will help minimize keratin contamination during sample preparation.- Avoid storing gels in plastic wrap or similar material. Instead, use newand cleaned plastic or glass gel trays.
- Refrain from letting anything come into contact with the gel, such as dust or hair.
- Perform all sample preparation steps in a laminar flow hood, if possible.
- Wipe down surfaces with water and ethanol/methanol.
- ALWAYS USE NON-LATEX GLOVES and wear lab coats.
- Store consumables and reagents in covered containers, such as gels, liquid and powdered reagents, pipette tips, etc.
- No wool clothing in the lab.
- To avoid BSA or other contaminates from western blot assays: do not use the same plates or gel containers.
- For gel electrophoresis, wash all glass plates thoroughly with 70% ethanol prior to casting an SDS-PAGE gel. After completing gel electrophoresis step, disassemble the glass plates in a laminar flow hood. Destain the gel in a clean container that has been rinsed thoroughly with 70% ethanol or methanol/acetonitrile.