Agarose is, indeed, amazing. Originally found in seaweed, it melts at warm temperatures (in the microwave, for example) and solidifies again at room temperature. It’s often used as a homogeneous matrix for running proteins or DNA down an electrical gradient to determine size or charge.
Agarose comes in many grades and forms, the cheapest of which is often used to make LB plates for growing bacteria. Cheap agarose can also be used for running most gels that don’t need specific parameters.
Agarose can also be found in low-melting versions and high-purity versions. One thing is for sure, it saves us lab workers from having to use gelatin (a much stickier and messier choice).
