Its shape, i.e., whether it’s tertiary or quaternary structured.

The properties of the supporting medium.

The rate of migration of an ion in a supporting medium under the influence of an electric field depends upon the following factors – In contrast, it acts as a negatively charged particle or ion in an alkaline condition and moves towards the anode. The size, shape, and charge of the molecule remains constant during electrophoresis and determines ionic particle mobility.Īn ampholyte acts as a positively charged particle or ion migrating towards the cathode in acidic conditions. On passing electric current, depending upon the kind of charge the molecules carry, they move towards the opposite electrodes – either cathode (negative electrode) or anode (positive electrode). The charged molecules are placed at one end of the field according to their charge, and an electric field is applied. It is the process of separation or purification of protein molecules, DNA, or RNA that differ in charge, size, and conformation. An applied electric field acts on the resulting charge density, causing the particle to migrate and the fluid around the particle to flow. The fundamental principle of electrophoresis is the existence of charge separation between the surface of a particle and the fluid immediately surrounding it.

Urine analysis – like determination of GNs.

Monitoring of Small molecules – e.g., drugs and steroids.

Protein genotyping – e.g., ApoE analysis for Alzheimer’s disease (polymorphic protein).

Determination of serum protein Phenotypes and micro heterogenesis.

Diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies and hemoglobin A1c.

Detection and analysis of variations or mutations in the sequence.

Protein fragmentation for western blotting.

RNA fragmentation for northern blotting.

DNA fragmentation for southern blotting.

The method used to separate macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, or protein molecules is known as gel electrophoresis. Electrophoresis is also used in laboratories for the separation of molecules based on their size, density and purity. The methods differ in some ways, but all we need is a source for the electrical charge, a support medium and a buffer solution.

Though it is most often used in life sciences to separate protein molecules or DNA, it can be achieved through several different techniques and methods depending upon the type and size of the molecules. In contrast, sometimes, the electrophoresis of anions or negatively charged ions is referred to as anaphoresis (or anaphoric electrophoresis). Electrophoresis of cations or positively charged ions is sometimes referred to as cataphoresis (or cataphoretic electrophoresis). A constant application of electric field caused the particles of clay dispersed in water to migrate, showing an electrokinetic phenomenon.Įlectrophoresis can be defined as an electrokinetic process that separates charged particles in a fluid using an electrical field of charge. The phenomenon of electrophoresis was first observed by Russian professors Peter Ivanovich Strakhov and Ferdinand Frederic Reuss in 1807 at Moscow University.

What is electrophoresis and what are its uses?Įlectrophoresis is a very broadly used technique that, fundamentally, applies electric current to biological molecules – they’re usually DNA, but they can be protein or RNA, too – and separates these fragments into pieces that are larger or smaller in size. According to the way conditions are adjusted during electrophoresis, the molecules can be separated in the desired size range. The pores present in the gel work like a sieve, allowing smaller molecules to pass through more quickly and easily than the larger molecules. An electric current is passed through the molecules to move them so that they can be separated via a gel. Electrophoresis is a scientific laboratory technique that is used to separate DNA, RNA, or protein molecules based on their size and electrical charge.

Electrophoresis cathode charge