The A2501 is Benchmark EZ Pack Agarose Tablets in 200-tablet pack (100 g equivalent) — a pre-measured tablet format of standard molecular-biology-grade agarose, sold at $224. Each tablet = 0.5 g agarose, individually pre-measured to eliminate the powder-weighing step in gel preparation. The tablet format trades modestly higher per-gram cost ($2.24/g vs $1.62/g for the A1701 100 g LE powder pack) for faster gel-prep workflow, reduced contamination risk (no open powder weighing), and reproducibility improvements in multi-investigator / educational-lab contexts.
Author confidence note (MEDIUM): Brochure exists in corpus as image-only PDF (no text layer extractable). Specs sourced from universe label and standard EZ Pack tablet conventions. Confirm exact tablet mass (assumed 0.5 g per tablet) and gel-strength characteristics with Benchmark Scientific technical support.
Key Specifications
| SKU | A2501 |
| Type | Pre-measured agarose tablets, standard molecular biology grade |
| Pack quantity | 200 tablets |
| Total agarose mass | 100 g (assumed 0.5 g per tablet × 200 tablets) |
| Per-gram cost | $2.24/g |
| Per-tablet cost | $1.12 / tablet |
| Sister tablet pack-size SKU | A2505 (1000-tablet pack = 500 g, $681, $1.36/g) |
| Sister loose-powder format | A1701 (100 g LE powder, $224.00 $1.62/g) |
| List price | $224 |
Why a Pre-Measured Tablet Format
Standard agarose preparation requires weighing loose powder on a balance — a step that introduces powder-handling overhead (open powder, weighing-paper waste, balance cleanup), cross-contamination risk in shared-balance environments, investigator-to-investigator variation in measured mass, and a time cost at the start of each gel-prep workflow.
The EZ Pack tablet format eliminates the weighing step: count out the right number of tablets for the target gel volume (typically 0.5 g per 50 mL for a 1 % gel), drop them into running buffer, microwave to dissolve, pour. Faster workflow, lower contamination risk, more reproducible mass per gel.
Pick the tablet format (A2501) when:
- Workflow runs multiple gels per week and the per-gel time savings compound
- Multi-investigator shared lab where reproducibility across investigators matters
- Educational laboratory teaching — student-cohort exercises benefit enormously from pre-measured format (students don't have to learn balance technique to pour a gel)
- Contamination-sensitive workflows where open-powder-handling is a concern
Pick the loose-powder LE format (A1701) when per-gram cost optimization matters more than workflow speed (38 % higher per-gram cost for the tablets).
Pack-Size Pair — A2501 vs A2505
| SKU | Pack | Total mass | List price | Per-g cost | Best for |
| A2501 (this product) | 200 tablets | 100 g | $224 | $2.24/g | Standard institutional procurement |
| A2505 | 1000 tablets | 500 g | $681 | $1.36/g | High-throughput / facility procurement at lowest per-tablet cost |
Tablet vs Powder Decision
| Format | SKU | Per-gram cost | Workflow trade |
| Loose powder (LE) | A1701 (100 g) | $1.62/g | Lowest cost; requires balance / weighing step |
| Tablets (this product) | A2501 (200 tablets) | $2.24/g | Faster workflow; pre-measured reproducibility; no weighing step |
| Loose powder (LE bulk) | A1705 (500 g) | $1.13/g | Lowest cost at high throughput; requires balance / weighing |
Application Profile
High-throughput electrophoresis workflows — daily-use multi-gel workflows where the per-gel time savings compound over the workweek.
Multi-investigator shared lab procurement — pre-measured format eliminates investigator-to-investigator variation in gel-prep technique.
Educational laboratory teaching — undergraduate / graduate molecular biology coursework where student-cohort gel exercises benefit from the pre-measured tablet format (students focus on electrophoresis fundamentals vs balance-handling).
Contamination-sensitive workflows — labs where open-powder handling creates contamination risk for adjacent workflows.
Field-deployment electrophoresis — environmental / agricultural / portable lab workflows where balance access is limited.
Method-development workflows — protocol-development where reproducibility of mass-per-gel matters for run-to-run comparison.
Ordering & Configuration
Pair with electrophoresis chassis, running buffer, and DNA stain — same pairing as standard LE; see A1700 parent page.
Confirm tablets-per-gel calculation. Standard 1 % agarose gel = 1 g agarose per 100 mL buffer = 2 tablets per 100 mL gel volume (assuming 0.5 g per tablet). Confirm tablet mass at first procurement.
Confirm at quote: workflow throughput sizing, tablet vs loose-powder format justification, electrophoresis chassis pairing, and lead time.
Warranty: Per Benchmark Scientific standard reagent terms.
EZ Pack Agarose Tablet family:
- A2501 (this product) — 200-tablet pack (100 g equivalent), $224 — standard institutional
- A2505 — 1000-tablet pack (500 g equivalent), $681 — high-throughput / facility procurement
Pick the tablet format for faster gel-prep workflow, reproducibility, and contamination-sensitive contexts; loose-powder LE family (A1700/A1701/A1705) covers cost-optimized procurement at lower per-gram cost.
