Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Large-scale Top-down Proteomics Using Capillary Zone Electrophoresis Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Published on: October 24, 2018
High-speed capillary zone electrophoresis with online photolytic optical injection
Suminda Hapuarachchi1, Sean P Premeau, Craig A Aspinwall
1Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.
Abstract:
We report an online, optical injection interface for capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) based upon photophysical activation of a caged, fluorogenic label covalently attached to the target analyte. This injection interface allows online analysis of biomolecular systems with high temporal resolution and high sensitivity. Samples are injected onto the separation capillary by photolysis of a caged-fluorescein label using the 351-364 nm irradiation of an Ar+ laser. Following injection, the sample is separated and detected via laser-induced fluorescence detection at 488 nm. Detection limits for online analysis of arginine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid were less than 1 nM with separation times less than 5 s and separation efficiencies exceeding 1,000,000 plates/m. Rapid injection of proteins was demonstrated with migration times less than 500 ms and 0.5 nM detection limits. Online monitoring was performed with response times less than 20 s, suggesting the feasibility of this approach for online, in vivo analysis for a range of biologically relevant analytes.
Related Concept Videos
Capillary Electrophoresis: Instrumentation
Capillary Electrophoresis: Applications
Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) separates ionic components based on their electrophoretic mobility. It has been used to separate proteins, amino acids,...
Electrophoresis: Overview
There...
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Elution Process
Two-dimensional Gel Electrophoresis
The first dimension separation uses the isoelectric focusing or IEF technique performed on immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strips that separate proteins according to their isoelectric points.
Biological samples, such as cells...
Gas Chromatography: Sample Injection Systems
Two primary injection methods are used...
