Blue/Green LED Technology

Safe detection of all RED and GREEN DNA dyes

The Blue/Green Revolution

What is Blue/Green LED light?

  • The Blue/Green LED technology is a safe and revolutionary method for the detection of stained nucleic acids.
  • The technology uses a combination of wavelengths in a light spectrum ranging from 470 nm to 520 nm. This light range lies in the visible light spectrum and is not harmful for the user or for the DNA sample.
  • As the fundamental part of our basic and advanced gel documentation systems, Blue/Green LEDs efficiently excite all common red and green DNA dyes (such as ethidium bromide or MIDORIGreen) with a very high intensity.
  • On this page, we would like to demonstrate the biggest downsides of commonly used UV-light for DNA visualization, explain the advantages and revolutionary technology behind Blue/Green LED light and introduce our impressive Blue/Green LED Gel Documentation systems.
Blue/green LED Technology

Blue/Green LEDs are completely safe

While traditional UV transilluminators remain common, they pose risks such as DNA damage and user harm.
UV light is highly energetic and can cause DNA strand breaks, mutations, and thymine dimers, compromising DNA quality and making it unsuitable for cloning, sequencing, and other applications.
Degraded sample integrity can lead to failed experiments or unreliable results.

Blue/Green LED Technology emits light in the safe 470-520 nm range.
This spectrum eliminates the risks associated with UV light exposure of common transilluminators.

Blue/Green LED Technology | Keep your sample integrity

Blue/Green LEDs show increadible sensitivity.

Common Blue LED transilluminators, operating only at a single wavelength of 470 nm, also present challenges. Their inefficient excitation of a wide range of DNA dyes results in poor visualization and unsatisfactory imaging quality. This lack of sensitivity with various fluorescent dyes forces researchers to use multiple devices, complicating workflows and increasing costs.

In contrast, high-intensity Blue/Green LED light, with a broad spectral range between 470 nm – 520 nm ensures superior excitation of various dyes, resulting in brighter and clearer images.

Blue/Green LEDs can excite a wide range of fluorescent dyes.

Blue/Green LED technology offers superior excitation across a broad spectrum of 470–520 nm, making it highly effective for a wide range of fluorescent dyes. Unlike single-wavelength Blue LEDs, this broad range ensures that green, red and yellow nucleic acid dyes absorb energy with maximum efficiency, resulting in high-intensity fluorescence.

Not only nucleic acid dyes, but also fluorescent protein dyes can be efficiently excited with Blue/Green LED technology. This extends the application of the system beyond DNA and RNA visualization, making it a powerful tool for protein analysis as well.

Why is Blue/Green LED light better than UV light or blue LED light only?

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  • FastGene Blue/Green LED Transilluminator

    FastGene® Blue/Green LED Transilluminator

    • Huge illumination area (26 cm x 21 cm)
    • For all red and green DNA dyes
    • No DNA destruction!
    • Upgradeable to Gel Doc Systems

    MORE INFO

  • FastGene FAS-X Gel Documentation System | German Innovation Award Winner 2024

    FastGene® FAS-X – German Innovation Award Winner 2024!

    • Gel imaging WITHOUT LIMITS
    • Unbeatable performance –With any fluorescent dye

    More info

  • FastGene® FAS-DIGI PRO

    • The advanced Gel Doc system includes a full control imaging software and a white LED plate for protein gel documentation.
    • The attachable amber filter allows easy gel viewing and cutting.

    More info

  • FastGene® FAS-DIGI Compact

    • The advanced Gel Doc system includes a full control imaging software and a white LED plate for protein gel documentation.
    • The attachable amber filter allows easy gel viewing and cutting.

    More info

Blue/Green LED NEWS

  • German Innovation Award 2024 for our FastGene FAS-X

    We are proud to announce that our FastGene FAS-X Gel Documentation System has won the German Innovation Award 2024! Selected from over 500 nominations!

    View blog post

  • Role of Blue/Green LED technology in sustainable chocolate production

    Planet A Foods shares valuable insights into how NIPPON Genetics’ Blue/Green LED technology is driving more sustainable chocolate production.

    View blog post

  • How to become a DNA Master – Popular Japanese school project

    This year’s Tokyo Science Festival 2024 featured the popular “Become a DNA Master!” Challenge School, a popular event for elementary and junior high school students.

    VIEW BLOG POST

User success stories

Before buying this device we have been using a UV transilluminator. After trying this device and seeing how it works by one of the sales representatives we were immediately intrigued. We liked the idea that it does not use UV light and can illuminate any dyes with its green blue technology. After using the product we can certainly say we are happy with the product, and would not go back to UV light again!

K. Mcgraphery, Biotechnology of Natural Products, Technical University of Munich

Using the FastGene Blue/Green LED Transilluminator

We use ethidium bromide as a dye, with which the DNA detection is very good. We did not find any significant difference in signal to the detection using conventional UV transilluminators.

Dr. T. Rehders, Botanical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel

Using the FastGene FAS-DIGI PRO

We are very satisfied with the blue-green LED technology and have replaced our entire UV devices to protect our samples and colleagues.

T. Detering, Institut für Lebensmittelchemie, Leibniz Universität Hannover

Using the FastGene FAS-BG LED Box

Get your own Blue/Green LED system!

If you have questions regarding the use of Blue/Green LED technology or you are interested in a detailed product demonstration of one of our Gel documentation systems, please contact us:

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