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Related Concept Videos

Two-dimensional Gel Electrophoresis01:22

Two-dimensional Gel Electrophoresis

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis is a high-resolution protein separation method first introduced by O' Farrell and Klose in 1975. This method involves protein separation by two dimensions, mass and charge, making it more accurate than one-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...
SDS-PAGE01:27

SDS-PAGE

Gel electrophoresis is a method that separates biological macromolecules like nucleic acids or proteins by forcing them to pass through a gel matrix under an electric field.
A variation of gel electrophoresis, termed  polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), is commonly used for separating proteins according to their molecular size by passing them through a polyacrylamide gel. Because of the varying charges associated with amino acid side chains, PAGE can be used to separate intact proteins...
DNA Agarose Gel Electrophoresis02:35

DNA Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

Agarose gel electrophoresis is a laboratory technique commonly used to separate DNA fragments by size. However, it can also be used to isolate and purify DNA fragments using a gel extraction protocol.
Gel extraction follows five major steps: running gel electrophoresis to separate fragments, isolating the individual bands, extracting DNA from those bands, and removing the dye and salts from the extracted mixture to obtain pure DNA.
In cloning experiments, both the insert and vector DNA...
Western Blotting01:15

Western Blotting

Western blotting is an analytical technique for protein identification. It has various applications in immunology and medicine, including detecting diseases like bovine spongiform encephalopathy, mad cow disease, and human and feline immunodeficiency virus from biological samples.
The technique begins with separating proteins from the sample using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), followed by protein transfer, immunoblotting, and finally, protein detection.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Staining Proteins in Gels
10:55

Staining Proteins in Gels

Published on: July 8, 2008

Staining proteins in gels.

Joachim Sasse1, Sean R Gallagher

  • 1Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, Tampa, Florida, USA.

Current Protocols in Molecular Biology
|January 27, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study details protein detection methods in gels using Coomassie blue, silver, and fluorescent stains. Fluorescent and silver stains offer superior sensitivity for detecting minimal protein amounts compared to Coomassie blue.

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Fluorescent Silver Staining of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels
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Fluorescent Silver Staining of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels

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Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Staining Proteins in Gels
10:55

Staining Proteins in Gels

Published on: July 8, 2008

Staining of Proteins in Gels with Coomassie G-250 without Organic Solvent and Acetic Acid
07:47

Staining of Proteins in Gels with Coomassie G-250 without Organic Solvent and Acetic Acid

Published on: August 14, 2009

Fluorescent Silver Staining of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels
06:24

Fluorescent Silver Staining of Proteins in Polyacrylamide Gels

Published on: April 21, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Protein detection in gels is crucial for molecular biology research.
  • Traditional Coomassie blue staining is common but lacks sensitivity.
  • Need for more sensitive protein visualization techniques exists.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe and compare various protein staining protocols for gels.
  • To highlight the sensitivity differences between Coomassie, silver, and fluorescent stains.
  • To provide protocols for specific stains, including phosphoprotein and glycoprotein detection.

Main Methods:

  • Protocols for Coomassie blue, silver, and fluorescent staining of proteins in SDS-polyacrylamide gels.
  • Variations for fluorescent staining in nondenaturing gels.
  • Methods for rapid Coomassie and silver staining.
  • Protocols for specific fluorescent stains (phosphoproteins, glycoproteins).
  • Support protocols for photography of stained gels.

Main Results:

  • Coomassie blue offers rapid and easy protein detection.
  • Silver and fluorescent staining provide significantly higher sensitivity for detecting low protein amounts.
  • Fluorescent staining is a sensitive alternative, comparable to silver staining.
  • Specific fluorescent stains enable targeted detection of modified proteins.

Conclusions:

  • The choice of protein staining method depends on the required sensitivity and speed.
  • Fluorescent and silver staining are recommended for detecting low-abundance proteins.
  • Detailed protocols are provided for various gel electrophoresis applications.
  • Photography methods ensure proper documentation of stained protein gels.