Description
🧫 Gelrite (Deacylated Gellan Gum) — a microbially-produced polysaccharide gelling agent that gives a crystal-clear gel; allows visual contamination detection and is the preferred gelling agent for somatic embryogenesis and conifer TC.
| 🧪 CAS | 71010-52-1 | 🔬 Grade | TC / Tissue Culture |
| ⚗️ Gel conc | 1.5–3 g/L (vs 6–8 g/L for agar) |
💡 Advantages over agar
- ✅ Crystal-clear gel — contamination visible immediately
- ✅ Lower use concentration (2–3 g/L vs 7 g/L for agar) → lower salt/inhibitor carryover
- ✅ More defined composition (single polysaccharide vs agar complexity)
- ✅ Better embryo development in SE protocols — softer texture
- ⚠️ Higher cost per gram than agar
- ⚠️ Requires divalent cations (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺) for gel formation — present in most TC media
🧫 Working concentrations
| Use | Concentration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Somatic embryogenesis (standard) | 2–3 g/L | Conifer, carrot, banana SE |
| Shoot culture (alternative to agar) | 2–2.5 g/L | Clearer medium, better contamination QC |
| Callus induction | 2–2.5 g/L | |
| Root induction | 1.5–2 g/L | Softer gel for easier root penetration |
⚠️ Gelrite requires divalent cations to gel. In media with very low Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺ (modified formulations), gel strength may be inadequate — add 1 mM CaCl₂ if gel is too soft.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.