A compact, low cost, automated 
electrophoresis apparatus provides for the optical detection of multiple 
DNA samples. A substantially cylindrical gel 
cartridge houses multiple sample lanes that are sealed on the outer periphery by a shrink tube, which allows for straightforward 
gel casting, as well as for the pre-
casting of sequencing gels. The radial 
column design of the gel 
cartridge also facilitates the use of a 
light source to illuminate one or more sample lanes at the same time. The radial 
column design further provides for an increased sample lane depth that allows for reading through a greater 
optical path length of the migrated samples, yielding greater optical 
signal strength, and an increased 
signal to 
noise ratio. The gel lanes can be designed to vary in depth as a function of longitudinal length, allowing for a variable 
current density. Additionally, this radial design allows for different types of optical detection techniques to be performed on the sample, including 
transmittance and 
fluorescence. A 
system of cooling channels incorporated into the radial 
column design allows for a 
coolant to be recirculated in the cooling channels between the actual running sample lanes for better lane-to-lane 
thermal control. This cooling 
system allows higher operating voltages and facilitates the use of multiple thermal zones, as required, for instance, for single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) applications.