gel electrophoresis

American  

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a technique for separating protein molecules of varying sizes in a mixture by moving them through a block of gel, as of agarose or polyacrylamide, by means of an electric field, with smaller molecules moving faster and therefore farther than larger ones.

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gel electrophoresis Cultural  

1. A technique used in DNA fingerprinting and other processes in which large molecules are to be identified. Fragments of DNA are placed in a semiporous gel, and an electrical field is turned on. The fragments move in response to the field, with smaller fragments generally moving faster. After a time, the fragments have separated enough to form a series of separated lines like a bar code that characterizes the DNA.

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Example Sentences

Meanwhile, Belfast-based fertility firm Examen uses a technique known as single cell gel electrophoresis to identify DNA damage in individual sperm.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2023

Fragmented or whole chromosomes can be separated on the basis of size by gel electrophoresis.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Once DNA has been cut by restriction enzymes, scientists can use gel electrophoresis to separate the fragments.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

The team used a technique called gel electrophoresis to break down the muscles into individual muscle fibers, and compared this breakdown to human muscle fiber data.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 26, 2017

DNA was purified twice with Beckman Coulter Genomics AMPure XP magnetic beads and assessed by standard agarose gel electrophoresis and Thermo Fisher Scientific Qubit Fluorometry.

From Nature • Feb. 7, 2017