REVIEW: AN APPROACH TO POLYACRYLAMIDE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS (PAGE)

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) provides a versatile, gentle, high resolution method for fractionation and physical-chemical characterization of molecules on the basis of size, conformation, and net charge. It is a technique used almost universally in life science laboratories. The goal of this technique is to separate a mixed sample of proteins, to identify and quantify single proteins from the mixture. It is also used to separate DNA and RNA, although proteins remain the most common sample type. It can also be used to resolve RNA protein complexes and to detect RNA complex formation by analyzing changes in the electrophoretic mobility of the RNA. Major advantage of PAGE is its high resolving power (sometimes 1 in 500 bp).