Protein Gel Electrophoresis

Often used to set up more specialized downstream applications, protein gel electrophoresis is a common technique performed in research. The procedure uses a gel and buffer system to separate a complex sample of proteins according to their mass, charge, and shape. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) can be broadly classified as SDS-PAGE, which uses the SDS detergent to denature folded proteins, and native PAGE, which does not. Unlike native protein gels, SDS-PAGE separates proteins largely on the basis of molecular weight, effectively removing additional influences from 3D structure and charge. Meanwhile, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE) is a specialized method that combines isoelectric focusing with PAGE to further increase the resolution and sensitivity of protein separation. Protein gel electrophoresis is performed prior to applications like Western blotting, and mass spectrometry, enabling scientists to study and characterize individual proteins, interactions, activity, as well as the broader proteome within a given system.