PVDF (polyvinylidene difluoride) and nitrocellulose membranes are available in different pore sizes and dimensions for different application needs. A protein's properties (i.e., charge, hydrophobicity, etc.) affect its ability to bind to membrane surfaces, so finding the optimal membrane may require experimenting with your specific protein on different membranes. Below are some basic guidelines to help you choose the right membrane for your Western blotting needs.

Choosing your western blot membrane

Membrane type Applications & uses* Reprobe characteristics Binding interaction
Nitrocellulose membranes WB-low mol wt proteins (<20 kDa), S,N-nucleic acids (<300 bp), AA, DSB Can be stripped & reprobed Hydrophobic and electrostatic
PVDF membranes (including Invitrolon™ PVDF) WB, P, AA, SPA Can be stripped & reprobed Hydrophobic
iBlot® Transfer Stack, Nitrocellulose Membrane
 WB-low mol wt proteins (<20 kDa) Cannot be stripped & reprobed Hydrophobic and electrostatic
iBlot® Transfer Stack, PVDF Membrane
 WB Can be stripped & reprobed Hydrophobic
Nylon S, N, WB Can be stripped & reprobed Ionic, hydrophobic, and electrostatic
*WB=Western blot transfer, S=Southern transfer, N=Northern transfer, AA=Amino acid analysis, DBS=Dot/Slot blotting, P=Protein sequencing, SPA=Solid phase assay systems.

Featured categories

Nitrocellulose Membranes

Sheets and rolls of nitrocellulose with binding properties suitable for western blot and other protein or nucleic acid methods.

PVDF Membranes

Sheets and rolls of high-quality polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane that offer high protein and nucleic acid binding capacity.

Nylon membranes

Unmodified or positively charged Biodyne A and Biodyne B nylon that provide appropriate binding characteristics for nucleic acid transfer, blotting, and detection.

Resources

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