Brilliant Blue R can be used for staining proteins on polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels. Improvement of sensitivity and background have been accomplished using Brilliant Blue dyes in a colloidal form. Other applications for brilliant Blue R include use in detection of lipids in thin layer chromatography, determination of the CMC of detergents, and detection of proteins in solution, as well as on cellulose acetate plates.
Tested for suitability on agarose gels following immunoelectrophoresis.