Electrophoresis today and tomorrow: Helping biologists' dreams come true

• Published in: BioEssays Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 218 - 226
• Main Authors: Kleparnik, Karel, Bocek, Petr
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley-VCH Verlag 01.03.2010; WILEY-VCH Verlag; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Bacterial Proteins - analysis; Base Sequence; Capillaries; capillary electrophoresis; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Electrophoresis; Electrophoresis - instrumentation; Electrophoresis - methods; Electrophoresis - trends; Fluids; Fluorescence; Gel electrophoresis; Genomes; Human Genome Project; Humans; Immunoassay - methods; immunofluorescence assay; Instrumentation; Isoelectric focusing; isotachophoresis; Lysis; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Methods; Microfluidic devices; Microfluidics; Molecular Sequence Data; Polyacrylamide; Proteins; Proteome - analysis; R&D; Research & development; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; single-cell analysis; single-molecule analysis; Stereoisomerism; Viral Proteins - analysis; Viruses
• ISSN: 0265-9247; 1521-1878
• DOI: 10.1002/bies.200900152

Intensive research and development of electrophoresis methodology and instrumentation during past decades has resulted in unique methods widely implemented in bioanalysis. While two-dimensional electrophoresis and denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulfate are still the most frequently used electrophoretic methods applied to analyses of proteins, new miniaturized capillary and microfluidic versions of electromigrational methods have been developed. High-throughput electrophoretic instruments with hundreds of capillaries for parallel separations and laser-induced fluorescence detection of labeled DNA strands have been of key importance for the scientific and commercial success of the Human Genome Project. Another powerful method, capillary isoelectric focusing with pressurized and pH-driven mobilization, provides efficient separations and on-line sensitive detection of proteins, bacteria and viruses. Electrophoretic microfluidic devices can integrate single-cell injection, cell lysis, separation of its components and fluorescence or mass spectrometry detection. These miniaturized devices also proved the capability of single-molecule detection.