Electrophoresis
Kendra Gibson
November 17, 2015
A scientist drops DNA samples in small indentations at the end of a Jell-O-like gel. He turns on an electrical current at the other side of the gel. His anticipation grows as he watches the samples slowly move from one side to the other. He pulls out a ruler and makes some measurements. He steps back in surprise, for he had just identified the most feared serial killer in the world! He did this by using Gel Electrophoresis. Electrophoresis (the process of finding the length of DNA strands) is a long and detailed process. It is used in Forensics and science labs all around the world. This process has been used for over a century. What is electrophoresis and what is it used for? Electrophoresis is a popular scientific procedure used to separate mixtures like DNA and proteins, although it takes very long and uses lots of materials. Electrophoresis is a long and detailed process. This process speaks of the journey of a charged molecule (DNA) throughout prohibitive “matrix”, such as agarose gel, pulled by an electrical force. Agarose gel refines batches of DNA strands; “It's like a sponge made of Jello with many small holes in it.” ("Gel Electrophoresis", 2014) As the molecules migrate they experience resistance because of the gel. ("Gel Electrophoresis", 2014) “When the current is turned off a series of bands is left in each lane of the gel.” (Simon, “Campbell Essential biology with Physiology”).“Larger molecules migrate more slowly than the smaller ones, and so the distance of migration within a gel can be used to determine a molecule's size.” (Blankenship, "Electrophoresis") Electrophoresis is very useful for a bunch of different things. Electrophoresis is used in forensics and science labs all around the world. One basic use of gel electrophoresis is to sort DNA, proteins, or other types of molecules by length. ("Gel Electrophoresis", 2014) Or to explain a little bit more in-depth, “Electrophoresis can be used both to determine the size of unknown DNA fragments relative to a known standard, and to isolate desirable fragments of known lengths from other, unwanted DNA.” ("Gel Electrophoresis") “Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) electrophoresis is used to map order of restriction fragments within chromosomes. (Blankenship, "Electrophoresis") Electrophoresis can be used to figure out the “nucleotide sequence” of a sample of DNA. (Blankenship, "Electrophoresis") “In forensics a suspect can be eliminated if their DNA bands do not match that of what was found at the crime scene; others may become suspects if their DNA is similar to the crime scene DNA, especially if the pattern is uncommon.” (Fairfield, "What is 'gel electrophoresis,' and why is it so important for DNA testing in criminal cases?") Modern scientists are lucky to have this tool available to them now, but it wasn't always this way. “Electrophoresis is so common in labs today that few people recall the origins of this ubiquitous tool.” (Brubacher, The New Face of Electrophoresis: Modernization of a Workhorse Technology) Electrophoresis was first used in the mid 20th century. “The early 1950s, therefore, marked not only an important turning point in the history of separation science, but also a transformative moment in the history of life sciences as the molecular realm available through these evolving technologies.” (Chiang, The Historical Development of Gel Electrophoresis and the Material Epistemology of Biomolecular Science) “Electrophoretic analysis became generally recognized as a protein analytical utensil succeeding the advancement of denaturing, discontinuous stacking systems from the middle to the later part …show more content…
(2008, April 1). BioTechniques - The New Face of Electrophoresis: Modernization of a Workhorse Technology. Retrieved October 24, 2015, from http://www.biotechniques.com/BiotechniquesJournal/2008/April/The-New-Face-of-Electrophoresis-Modernization-of-a-Workhorse-Technology/biotechniques-45261.html
Genetic Science Learning Center (2014, June 22) Gel Electrophoresis. Learn.Genetics. Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/gel/
Gel Electrophoresis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://bsp.med.harvard.edu/node/96
Gel Electrophoresis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2015, from https://www.idtdna.com/pages/docs/educational-resources/gel-electrophoresis.pdf?sfvrsn=4
P, B. (2005, November 1). Ethidium DNA agarose gel electrophoresis: How it started. Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16511967
Simon, E. & Reece, J. (2007). DNA Technology. In Campbell Essential biology with Physiology. (2nd ed., pp.229-230).San Francisco, California. Benjamin Cummings.
What is 'gel electrophoresis,' and why is it so important for DNA testing in criminal cases? (1999, October 21). Retrieved October 23, 2015, from
Kendra Gibson
November 17, 2015
A scientist drops DNA samples in small indentations at the end of a Jell-O-like gel. He turns on an electrical current at the other side of the gel. His anticipation grows as he watches the samples slowly move from one side to the other. He pulls out a ruler and makes some measurements. He steps back in surprise, for he had just identified the most feared serial killer in the world! He did this by using Gel Electrophoresis. Electrophoresis (the process of finding the length of DNA strands) is a long and detailed process. It is used in Forensics and science labs all around the world. This process has been used for over a century. What is electrophoresis and what is it used for? Electrophoresis is a popular scientific procedure used to separate mixtures like DNA and proteins, although it takes very long and uses lots of materials. Electrophoresis is a long and detailed process. This process speaks of the journey of a charged molecule (DNA) throughout prohibitive “matrix”, such as agarose gel, pulled by an electrical force. Agarose gel refines batches of DNA strands; “It's like a sponge made of Jello with many small holes in it.” ("Gel Electrophoresis", 2014) As the molecules migrate they experience resistance because of the gel. ("Gel Electrophoresis", 2014) “When the current is turned off a series of bands is left in each lane of the gel.” (Simon, “Campbell Essential biology with Physiology”).“Larger molecules migrate more slowly than the smaller ones, and so the distance of migration within a gel can be used to determine a molecule's size.” (Blankenship, "Electrophoresis") Electrophoresis is very useful for a bunch of different things. Electrophoresis is used in forensics and science labs all around the world. One basic use of gel electrophoresis is to sort DNA, proteins, or other types of molecules by length. ("Gel Electrophoresis", 2014) Or to explain a little bit more in-depth, “Electrophoresis can be used both to determine the size of unknown DNA fragments relative to a known standard, and to isolate desirable fragments of known lengths from other, unwanted DNA.” ("Gel Electrophoresis") “Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) electrophoresis is used to map order of restriction fragments within chromosomes. (Blankenship, "Electrophoresis") Electrophoresis can be used to figure out the “nucleotide sequence” of a sample of DNA. (Blankenship, "Electrophoresis") “In forensics a suspect can be eliminated if their DNA bands do not match that of what was found at the crime scene; others may become suspects if their DNA is similar to the crime scene DNA, especially if the pattern is uncommon.” (Fairfield, "What is 'gel electrophoresis,' and why is it so important for DNA testing in criminal cases?") Modern scientists are lucky to have this tool available to them now, but it wasn't always this way. “Electrophoresis is so common in labs today that few people recall the origins of this ubiquitous tool.” (Brubacher, The New Face of Electrophoresis: Modernization of a Workhorse Technology) Electrophoresis was first used in the mid 20th century. “The early 1950s, therefore, marked not only an important turning point in the history of separation science, but also a transformative moment in the history of life sciences as the molecular realm available through these evolving technologies.” (Chiang, The Historical Development of Gel Electrophoresis and the Material Epistemology of Biomolecular Science) “Electrophoretic analysis became generally recognized as a protein analytical utensil succeeding the advancement of denaturing, discontinuous stacking systems from the middle to the later part …show more content…
(2008, April 1). BioTechniques - The New Face of Electrophoresis: Modernization of a Workhorse Technology. Retrieved October 24, 2015, from http://www.biotechniques.com/BiotechniquesJournal/2008/April/The-New-Face-of-Electrophoresis-Modernization-of-a-Workhorse-Technology/biotechniques-45261.html
Genetic Science Learning Center (2014, June 22) Gel Electrophoresis. Learn.Genetics. Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/gel/
Gel Electrophoresis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://bsp.med.harvard.edu/node/96
Gel Electrophoresis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2015, from https://www.idtdna.com/pages/docs/educational-resources/gel-electrophoresis.pdf?sfvrsn=4
P, B. (2005, November 1). Ethidium DNA agarose gel electrophoresis: How it started. Retrieved October 23, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16511967
Simon, E. & Reece, J. (2007). DNA Technology. In Campbell Essential biology with Physiology. (2nd ed., pp.229-230).San Francisco, California. Benjamin Cummings.
What is 'gel electrophoresis,' and why is it so important for DNA testing in criminal cases? (1999, October 21). Retrieved October 23, 2015, from