Gel Electrophoresis Image Analysis with Band Detection

A free browser-based gel electrophoresis analyzer for DNA, RNA and protein gels. Load a gel photo from your phone, camera or gel-doc system, auto-detect lanes and bands, calibrate molecular weights with 20+ built-in ladders, and export an annotated image, CSV table or full report.

How to analyze a gel image

1
Upload the gel photo

Drag and drop a JPG, PNG, TIFF or BMP photo of your gel. Adjust brightness and contrast if needed.

2
Run auto-detect

Click Auto Detect to find lanes and bands. Add missing bands with the band tool, remove extras with the eraser.

3
Pick the ladder

Click the ladder lane, then choose a ladder from the dropdown. Molecular weights appear next to every band.

4
Annotated PNG, CSV or a report with the curve

Download an annotated PNG, a CSV results table, or a full PNG report with calibration curve.

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Quantify lanes and compute molecular weights from any gel photo

Drop your gel image here
Up to 50 MB
1Upload imageDrop a gel photo from your camera, gel doc, or UV transilluminator.
2Auto detectClick Auto Detect to find lanes and bands, then fine-tune by hand.
3Calibrate & exportPick a ladder to get molecular weights, then export PNG, CSV or report.
🧬
Gel Type
🧪
Lanes
0 ▾
No lanes detected. Use Auto Detect or add lanes manually.
📐
Calibration
▾
Ladder
Select a ladder lane to enable molecular weight calibration.
📋
Results
0 bands ▾
Lane Band Rf MW Intensity Relative %
🔍
Gel Quality
▾
✓Good quality
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Features

Auto lane & band detection with manual touch-up
The algorithm detects lanes and bands in seconds. Click to add a missing band, drag the eraser to remove false positives. Works with DNA agarose, SDS-PAGE protein, RNA and Western blot images.
20+ DNA & protein ladders — one click
Pre-loaded ladders from NEB, Thermo Fisher, Bio-Rad and Invitrogen: 100 bp, 1 kb, 1 kb Plus, GeneRuler, Lambda/HindIII, Precision Plus, PageRuler, BenchMark. Choose one or enter a custom set.
Densitometry with background subtraction
Interactive intensity profiles per lane with rolling ball or valley-to-valley background correction. Peak-area integration produces reliable relative-quantification percentages.
Calibration with R² quality score
A log-linear regression fits size vs Rf across the ladder. The live R² value and equation tell you at a glance whether the ladder lane is reliable.
Quality checks built
Automatic checks flag smiling, smearing, overload and low contrast so you know whether a gel is publication-ready before you quantify it.
Export, and report
Annotated gel for notebooks, with Rf, MW, intensity and relative % for spreadsheets, and a single-image report combining image, table and calibration curve.

FAQ

What gel types are supported?

DNA agarose gels, SDS-PAGE protein gels, RNA gels and Western blots. The tool accepts photos from UV transilluminators, gel-doc systems, DSLRs and smartphones — anything saved as JPG, PNG, TIFF, BMP or WebP.

How accurate is the molecular weight estimation?

Accuracy is typically within 5–10%, comparable to manual log-linear regression. The calibration R² is shown live so you can judge the fit. For best results, make sure ladder bands are evenly spaced and the lane is straight.

Can I use my own custom ladder?

Yes. Select "Custom..." from the ladder dropdown and enter fragment or protein sizes separated by commas, largest first. Calibration will use your values.

How does densitometry work?

The tool averages pixel intensity across each lane to build a profile, subtracts background using rolling-ball or valley-to-valley, and integrates the area under each peak. Relative % is normalized per-lane.

Can I edit bands after auto-detect?

Yes. Use the Band tool to add a missing band where you click, the Eraser to remove a false positive, and the Pointer to re-select a lane. Every edit updates Rf and MW instantly.

💡 Want us to improve this tool just for you?

We can! Just send us a quick message with your idea. If you'd like to discuss it in detail, leave your email and we'll get back to you. You can stay anonymous.

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Who is this tool for?
🏥 Healthcare Professionals
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