What is "gelgreen"

GelGreen is an intercalating nucleic acid stain used in molecular biology for agarose gel electrophoresis. GelGreen is structurally closely related to acridinium orange and consists of two acridinium orange subunits that are bridged by a linear spacer.

Its fluorophore, and therefore its optical properties, are essentially identical to those of other N-alkylacridinium orange dyes. When exposed to ultraviolet light, it will fluoresce with a greenish color that strongly intensifies after binding to DNA. The substance is marketed as a less toxic and more sensitive alternative to ethidium bromide. GelGreen is sold as a solution in DMSO or, more recently, in water.