Nitrocellulose: a tried and true polymer finds utility as a post-genomic substrate

High-throughput techniques for genomics and proteomics differ greatly from traditional bio-molecular research techniques in the amount of data that can be obtained from a given experiment. However, many of these novel techniques rely heavily on the traditional concepts of molecular immobilization followed by hybridization, binding or analysis. These concepts, which predate even traditional blotting techniques, have become so widely used that the complexity of their fundamental precepts is often overlooked. In this review, we explore the history and use of one of the most common immobilization surfaces, nitrocellulose. This unique polymer has been used as a surface in biological research for more than 6 decades, and continues to find utility in the post-genomic era with high-throughput techniques.