Calculate transfer time, current and heat load for a western blot.
Larger proteins migrate more slowly and need longer transfer, while wet transfer takes roughly twice as long as semi-dry. Power dissipates as heat in the buffer, which is what degrades proteins if uncontrolled. Overheating is the main cause of poor transfer and band distortion, so the heat load figure often matters more than the nominal transfer time.
Western Blot Transfer
Current = gel area × current density; power = V × I; heat = power × time
Current = gel area × current density; power = V × I; heat = power × time Larger proteins migrate more slowly and need longer transfer, while wet transfer takes roughly twice as long as semi-dry. Power dissipates as heat in the buffer, which is what degrades proteins if uncontrolled.
Overheating is the main cause of poor transfer and band distortion, so the heat load figure often matters more than the nominal transfer time.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Gel area, Target protein mass, Transfer method, Applied voltage, Current density. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.