Electrophoresis
Electrophoresis - Related Videos
08:50
Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)
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2023
Source: Laboratory of Dr. B. Jill Venton - University of Virginia Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a separation technique that separates molecules in an electric field according to size and charge. CE is performed in a small glass tube called a capillary that is filled with an electrolyte solution. Analytes are separated due to differences in electrophoretic mobility, which varies with charge, solvent viscosity, and size. Traditional electrophoresis in gels is limited in the amount of voltage...
07:31
Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis
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2023
Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE) is a technique that can resolve thousands of biomolecules from a mixture. This technique involves two distinct separation methods that have been coupled together: isoelectric focusing (IEF) and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). This physically separates compounds across two axes of a gel by their isoelectric points (an electrochemical property) and their molecular weights. The procedure in this video covers the main...
09:22
DNA Gel Electrophoresis
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2023
DNA gel electrophoresis is a technique used for the detection and separation of DNA molecules. An electric field is applied to a gel matrix comprised of agarose, and within the gel, charge particles will migrate and separate based on size. The negatively charged phosphates of the DNA backbone cause DNA fragments to move toward the anode - a positively charged electrode. The video explains the mechanism by which DNA fragments are resolved on an agarose gel, and it provides a step-by-step...
01:20
Electrophoresis: Overview
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2024
Electrophoresis is a powerful analytical separation technique that relies on the differential migration of charged species when subjected to an electric field. The core strength of electrophoresis lies in its ability to separate high-molecular-weight species in complex mixtures. It has found widespread use in biochemistry, molecular biology, and analytical chemistry, allowing the separation of compounds like amino acids, nucleotides, carbohydrates, and proteins with excellent resolution. There...
03:44
Isolation and Visualization of Rotavirus Genome via Gel Electrophoresis
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2026
Source: Philip, A. A., et al., Simplified Reverse Genetics Method to Recover Recombinant Rotaviruses Expressing Reporter Proteins. J. Vis. Exp. (2020)This video demonstrates the isolation of rotavirus double-stranded RNA from clarified cell lysates. It further illustrates the separation and visualization of genome segments through polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
FAQs
Migration reflects more than molecular size. The electric field drives a charged molecule toward the oppositely charged electrode, while the gel matrix hinders movement, especially for larger molecules. Charge influences the direction and strength of movement, and shape affects how readily a molecule passes through the matrix. Their combined effects determine band positions.
The matrix acts as a physical sieve: larger molecules experience greater hindrance, whereas smaller molecules can move more readily. This difference creates separated positions that can be compared to assess relative molecular size. Because charge and shape also influence migration, size estimates are interpreted in relation to those properties.
DNA, RNA, and proteins can produce distinguishable electrophoretic patterns because migration reflects each molecule’s charge, size, and shape. In a biological sample, comparing the resulting bands helps determine whether different molecular components are present and supports analysis of sample composition. This makes the method useful across nucleic-acid and protein studies.
Band patterns provide a visual basis for comparing biological molecules within or between samples. Distinct bands can indicate different molecular components, while their positions provide information related to relative size under the separation conditions. Researchers can therefore assess sample composition, distinguish molecules, and compare results. This readout also shows whether samples have comparable or different molecular patterns.
The analysis starts with a biological sample and a suitable medium, such as a gel, followed by application of an electric field that drives charged molecules through the matrix. After migration separates components according to their relevant properties, researchers examine the resulting bands. Those patterns can then be used to estimate size and compare samples.
Its value comes from connecting molecular separation with interpretable biological questions. In genetics, band patterns support genetic analysis; in protein studies, they aid characterization. The technique also contributes to disease research and biotechnology quality control by revealing sample composition and enabling comparisons among biological molecules.