The fluorescent dye SYBR Safe is widely used to view DNA on an agarose gel. This dye can intercalate, or place itself, between the base pairs of double-stranded DNA, causing it to fluoresce when exposed to UV radiation. SYBR Safe is useful for viewing DNA on an agarose gel for several reasons:
SYBR Safe is extremely sensitive and can identify very small quantities of DNA. This is due to its strong affinity for DNA and ability to intercalate between base pairs even at low quantities.
SYBR Safe is non-toxic and safe to use in the proximity of active cells. It is also less mutagenic than other pigments, such as ethidium bromide, making it a better option for routine use.
SYBR Safe is versatile in that it can be used to view DNA of various forms, from tiny fragments to big genomic DNA. It can also be used on a variety of materials, including PCR results, plasmids, and genomic DNA.
SYBR Safe is compatible with conventional UV transilluminators, which are used in most molecular biology laboratories to visualize DNA on agarose gels.
Overall, SYBR Safe's capacity to intercalate with DNA, high sensitivity, non-toxicity, flexibility, and compatibility with standard tools make it a viable option for visualizing DNA on an agarose gel.