A sodium dodecyl sulfate micro-gel-electrophoresis technique suitable for routine laboratory analysis

A micro-gel technique has been developed that permits routine analysis of protein down to 10^-9 g. Gel preparation, electrophoresis, staining, and destaining can be completed in less than 6 hr. Because these micro-gels are intermediate in size between traditional tube gels and micro-gels used with single cells (1), preparation and handling are simplified, and quantitative densitometry can be performed directly on the gels using standard equipment. The resolution and reproducibility of these micro-gels are comparable to those of the traditional tube gel. In addition, the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with this micro-gel system permits routine molecular weight determination of micro-samples.