A slicer for tube gels or strips from a slab gel which includes a cutting plate having a plurality of blades in spaced parallel relation extending between the sides of the cutting plate. The spaces between the blades are configured with a cutting edge on one side thereof. The plate is mounted in a holder which is driven by a rotating cam mounted on a drive motor shaft which contacts a cam follower on an arm attached to the cutting plate holder. A pedestal is provided for supporting the gel slab strip or tube gel. The gel is retained laterally on the pedestal by means of retaining vanes on each side of the pedestal. The retaining vanes are urged by springs to extend above the surface of the pedestal. The cutting plate holder is rotatably attached to a framework for mounting the drive motor and the support pedestal so that it may be alternately positioned overlying the pedestal and in a remote position. A weight is attached to the cutting plate holder which is radially adjustable about the axis of rotation of the cutting plate holder. Adjustment of the radius of the weight from the axis of rotation allows adjustment of the force applied to the cutting plate holder for urging the cutting plate toward the pedestal. A gel to be sliced is placed on the pedestal, the cutting plate is positioned to overlie the gel with the cutting edges of the plurality of blades in contact with the gel, and the motor is actuated causing reciprocating motion of the cutting blades. The cutting blades advance through the gel depressing the springs supporting the retaining vanes, thereby pushing the retaining vanes ahead of the cutting blades until the cutting blades pass through the gel and contact the surface of the pedestal.