TOKU-E ANNOUNCES SAFER AND FASTER DISSOLVING, DUST-FREE GRADE SODIUM DODECYL SULFATE (SDS) FOR ELECTROPHORESIS AND MANUFACTURING APPLICATIONS
BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 28, 2012— TOKU-E Company (www.toku-e.com) has announced availability of their newly developed, innovative, ultra-safe, faster dissolving dust-free grade (DF) Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS).
In animal studies, prolonged exposure to SDS dust particles has been known to cause eye and skin irritation. SDS may exacerbate skin problems in individuals with chronic skin hypersensitivity, with some affected more than others. Inhalation of SDS dust can cause acute symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, especially in those with asthma. In addition to preventing dust induced complications, TOKU-E’s dust-free SDS dissolves more quickly in water compared to standard SDS.
Increased safety and reliability of results, all stem from the physical properties of TOKU-E’s dust-free SDS. While the density of typically manufactured SDS ranges from 0.6-0.7 g/cm3, TOKU-E has been able to pack the powder to a density of 0.9 g/cm3, ensuring that free-floating particulates are minimized. Additionally, when preparing a stock solution, running an SDS-PAGE or preparing a Tris-glycine SDS-Buffer, dust-free grade saves time by speeding up dissolution times. Internal testing shows that by using tightly-packed dust-free grade SDS, dissolution times can be reduced by up to 50%.
Company R&D Director Amy Lee says, “About 5 years ago, TOKU-E received a batch of poor quality of SDS from one of our suppliers which did not meet our specifications. Our R&D team was assigned to purify it and keep it for our internal R&D usage. The dust particles of SDS were really annoying and one of our scientists who had asthma was forced to stay away from the project. In order to reduce dust particles, we decided to try out the pellet form of the product. After three years of research, we found that the water quality, control of bacterial contaminations (sources of DNase RNase and Protease) and a few other parameters are the key to make quality SDS. Two years ago, we decided to scale up this product and begin offering it to our customers worldwide. We’re really excited to innovate on and make safer this widely used product. After extensive testing by our R&D team in preparations of Tris-glycine SDS-Buffers, we were assured that dust-free SDS not only provides increased safety in the laboratory, but leads to more consistent electrophoresis results.”
After production of dust-free SDS, each batch is stringently tested to ensure it meets physical specifications such as purity, density, solubility, and appearance, and then packed for shipment to end-users. For specific technical data and southern/western blot data, please visit: http://www.toku-e.com/product/Sodium_Dodecyl_Sulfate_(SDS)/.
About TOKU-E
TOKU-E specializes in the manufacturing of ultra-pure antimicrobials and fine chemicals for use in life science research. The broad range of antimicrobials produced are primarily designed for gene selection, cell culture, microbiology, anti-mycoplasma, diagnostic applications.
Contact information:
Peter Hinrichs
Phone: 360-734-1789
Fax: 360-734-0798
info@toku-e.com