Gel electrophoresis and X-ray fluorescence: A powerful combination for the analysis of protein metal binding

Understanding the complex biochemical mechanisms that underlie the regulation, toxicity, and protein binding of metal ions requires the ability to analyze the metal content of individual proteins in complex mixtures. In this issue of ACS Chemical Biology, a technique combining gel electrophoresis with synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging demonstrates a rapid and powerful solution for simultaneously examining multiple proteins and metal ions of interest. The resulting technique is broadly applicable, does not require specialized equipment for sample preparation, and is likely to be extensible in the future.