AbstractA stand is described which supports racks of gels for isoelectric focusing (ISO‐gels) and makes it possible to load these gel rods directly onto the second dimensional slabs of polyacrylamide (DALT‐gels). Equilibration with second dimensional buffer is made by adding it without agarose to the ISO‐gels on top of the slabs. A new design of DALT‐tank is also described to run twenty slabs of polyacrylamide while holding the plates vertically so the samples run down the slab. This system removes the need to seal the ISO‐gels onto the slab of polyacrylamide using agarose solutions. The omission of agarose reduces the background when two‐dimensional gels are stained