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Protein gel electrophoresis
Protein gel electrophoresis is a technique in which charged molecules are separated according to physical properties such as charge or mass as they are forced through a sieving gel matrix by an electrical current. This technique is used to identify individual proteins in complex samples or to examine multiple proteins within a single sample.
Several forms of this technique (abbreviated as PAGE, for polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) exist and can provide different types of information about the protein(s). Nondenaturing PAGE, also called native PAGE, separates proteins according to their mass–charge ratios. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), the most widely used form of the technique, denatures and breaks any disulfide bonds in the proteins, separating them by mass. Two-dimensional (2D) PAGE separates proteins by isoelectric point in the first dimension and by mass in the second dimension.
Homemade vs. precast gels
Traditionally, researchers “poured” their own gels using standard protocols that are widely available in protein methods books. Many laboratories now depend on the convenience and consistency afforded by commercially available, ready-to-use precast gels.
Precast gels are available in a variety of percentages and difficult-to-pour gradients that provide excellent resolution and separate proteins over the widest possible range of molecular weights.
Our gel chemistry options are designed for specific protein separation needs:
- Bis-Tris for broad-range, low-abundance protein separation or for downstream applications requiring high protein integrity, such as post translational modification analysis, mass spectrometry, or sequencing
- Tris-glycine for broad-range, high-abundance protein separation
- Tris-acetate for high molecular weight (HMW) protein separation up to 500 kDa
- Tricine for increased resolution of proteins with molecular weights down to 2.5 kDa
Precast gel options
Invitrogen precast gels offer convenience, speed, and consistency. We offer precast gels in four different chemistries and a wide variety of percentages, gradients, and sample well configurations. The choice of gel chemistry depends on the abundance of the protein being separated, the size of the protein, and the downstream application.
- Mini and midi gels
- Welcome packs
- Purchase with confidence with our protein gel performance guarantee
Invitrogen precast gels are available in two size formats: mini gels and midi gels. Both gels are the same height and have similar run times, but midi gels are wider (8 cm x 13 cm) for higher-throughput electrophoresis needs. The additional wells in the midi gels permit more samples or large sample volumes to be loaded onto one gel.
Invitrogen protein gel welcome packs are cost-saving bundles available for each of our mini protein gels. The typical protein
gel welcome pack includes gels, buffers, and reagents as well as the Invitrogen Mini Gel Tank.
We stand behind the quality of our high-performance protein gels. Our manufacturing and quality assurance teams in Carlsbad, California are highly trained, and our product specifications help ensure reliable, reproducible performance, lot after lot. If an Invitrogen protein gel does not perform in an experiment as described on our website or Certificate of Analysis, we will replace the product at no cost to the customer or provide credit for future purchase.
Casting system
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Precast gels
- Preserved protein integrity
Neutral-pH formulation minimises protein modifications - High sample-volume capacity
Invitrogen WedgeWell design with a sample capacity of up to 60 μL allows detection of proteins in very dilute samples as - well as visualisation of low-abundance proteins
- Better band quality and band volume
Bolt Bis-Tris Plus gel chemistry is designed to deliver sharp, straight bands with higher band volume - High lot-to-lot consistency
Coefficient of variation (CV) of only 2% for Rf values (migration) - Optimised run conditions
Separate your proteins using constant voltage in approximately 35 minutes
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Protease Inhibitor Cocktails
Ladders
- Performance
Sharp protein band resolution and consistent migration patterns provide easy molecule determination - Flexible
A variety of molecular weight ranges; broad-range ladders for everyday gel electrophoresis, or specialised protein ladderstargeting high or low molecular weight proteins - Convenient
Protein ladders are ready to load with no heating or boiling required - Reliability
Exceptional lot-to-lot consistency and reproducibility
Protein ladder comparison table
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Stains
- Sensitive
Based on the Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 dye, detect as little as 7 ng of protein - Superior glass plate durability
Protocol is easy to perform and can be completed in less than 3 hours (see right); for added speed, a simple microwave procedure can be completed in 12 minutes - Safe
No hazardous acid, alcohol fixatives, or destains required
SimplyBlue SafeStain protocol
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Migration tank
- Versatile
Compatible with Bolt Bis-Tris, NuPAGE Bis-Tris and Tris-acetate, and Novex Tris-glycine and Tricine gels, and Invitrogen™ SureCast™ pour-your-own gels - Easy sample loading
With forward-facing well configuration - Simultaneous visualisation of both gels
Streamlined, side-by-side tank configuration - Simplified monitoring of prestained protein markers—
Coefficient of variation (CV) of only 2% for Rf values (migration) - Less running buffer required
Two separate gel chambers, so you only need to load sufficient buffer for each gel to the specified fill line
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Welcome pack options
Protein gel welcome pack
Protein Gel welcome packs are cost-saving product combinations that contain all you need for outstanding protein separation. They include mini and midi format gels, buffers and reagents, as well as our Mini or Midi gel tank, with or without blot modules.
- Bolt Bis-Tris
- NuPage Bis-Tris
- Novex Tris-Glycine
- NuPage Tris-Acetate
- Novex Tricine
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.