Electrophoresis: Analysis By Size and Charge

BPI Lab

An essential method in modern analytical laboratories, electrophoresis separates macromolecules (DNA, RNA, and proteins) for analysis based on their size and charge. The popular sodium-dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) technique uses a gel medium. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) can separate ionic species by charge and hydrodynamic radii as well as frictional forces in small electrolyte-filled capillaries. Cheryl Scott looks at the history and applications of these techniques, highlights their appearance in past BPI articles, and points to some events for further exploration.