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Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis for the Separation of DNA Fragments
Published on: April 20, 2012
Anomalous diffusion of poly(ethylene oxide) in agarose gels
Tom Brenner1, Shingo Matsukawa2
1Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan; Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sophia University, 7-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan.
Abstract:
We report on the effect of probe size and diffusion time of poly(ethylene) oxide in agarose gels. Time-dependence of the diffusion coefficient, reflecting anomalous diffusion, was observed for poly(ethylene) oxide chains with hydrodynamic radii exceeding about 20nm at an agarose concentration of 2%. The main conclusion is that the pore distribution includes pores that are only several nm across, in agreement with scattering reports in the literature. Interpretation of the diffusion coefficient dependence on the probe size based on a model of entangled rigid rods yielded a rod length of 72nm.
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