Home Biochemistry Total Protein Normalization - Basic Tutorial
Steps
  1. 1 Acquire stain-free blot images 00:14
  2. 2 Select normalization channel 00:26
  3. 3 Configure band detection settings 01:01
  4. 4 Select normalization reference lane 01:39
  5. 5 Adjust and verify background subtraction 01:56
  6. 6 Review normalization results 02:40
  7. 7 Export normalized data to Excel 03:11
Biochemistry Bio-Rad Laboratories

Total Protein Normalization - Basic Tutorial

Protocol
Difficulty
intermediate

Steps

1
Acquire stain-free blot images

Capture the total protein stain-free blot image before adding any chemiluminescent substrate to the blot. This image will be used as the normalization channel.

▶ 00:14
2
Select normalization channel

Open the analysis toolbox and select lane and bands. Use the normalization channel dropdown to add the total protein stain-free blot image as the normalization channel alongside the chemi image.

▶ 00:26
3
Configure band detection settings

When the band detection window opens, set the detection sensitivity based on signal strength. For strong signals, select low detection sensitivity and confirm to allow Image Lab to automatically detect lanes and bands.

▶ 01:01
4
Select normalization reference lane

Choose one of the total protein lanes as the normalization lane. This lane will serve as the reference for calculating normalization factors across all samples.

▶ 01:39
5
Adjust and verify background subtraction

Select the total protein blot and click adjust background on the toolbar. Review the gray section underneath the red line across all lanes to ensure consistent background subtraction, adjusting the subtraction scroll bar if needed.

▶ 01:56
6
Review normalization results

Close the lane profiler and click the analysis table button to view detailed results including band volume, intensity before normalization, normalization factors, and adjusted volumes for each lane.

▶ 02:40
7
Export normalized data to Excel

Click the export to Excel analysis button to save the complete normalization results and normalized protein data for further analysis or reporting.

▶ 03:11

🚨 Failure Case Library (1) + Submit your own case

severe
White Bands or Ghost Bands with ECL Detection
Target protein bands appear white or light-colored instead of dark on film or imager. The bands are present but show inverted contrast, appearing as 'ghost bands' where signal should be strongest.
💡 5 · ✓ 6
💬 Comments coming soon