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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis for the Separation of DNA Fragments
Published on: April 20, 2012
Theoretical studies of DNA during gel electrophoresis
1Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz 95064.
Abstract:
A numerical study of the motion of a long-chain macromolecule in a gel has shown unexpected features. The application of a field appears to induce the chain to contract on itself. This is followed by its "unwinding" into an extended configuration. For long chains, the mobility tends toward a constant, in accord with experiments. For the parameter range used, the observed molecular motion differs strongly from assumptions made in the present theory of electrophoresis.
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