Potential Mutations and Symptoms from Exposure to Ethidium Bromide

[Gelsamel Epsilon]

This Monday I have to goto Melbourne to do 2 SACs in one day (For non-Australians they are basically assesed assignments) having to do just with general genetics.

Anyway they say that we should use gloves etc. blah blah blah safety stuff, because we'll be handling Ethidium bromide (in the form of eletrophoresis gels is my guess) which is a mutagen.

My question is why type of mutations/symptoms can be expected if you're exposed to Ethidium bromide? (Just curious =p)

~Gelsamel

 

[iansmith]

Ethidium bromide is an intercalating agent, so it bind to DNA and will force replication errors, so it impossible to predict the symptoms that will results from this mutation but cancer can be one.

Ethidium bromide is also an irritant of the skin, the eye and respiratory tract. Also, latex gloves do not protect as well as nitril, ethidum bromide can go trough latex gloves if it's in large concentration/quantity. Trust me I learn this one the hard way.

 

[NoTime]

latex gloves do not protect as well as nitril.

Latex is useless.

Just about any chemical will go through it, if it doesn't outright disolve it first.
Might be ok to keep big clunky bacteria off your skin, but that's about it.