Isolation of proteins and nucleic acids by electrophoresis on disposable gel columns

A simple and cheap one-step method to isolate proteins or nucleic acids by electrophoresis in disposable gel columns is reported. A disposable syringe was modified to host a gel column and an elution chamber. Starting from a crude extract of E. coli, the laboratory-made devise allowed the isolation of the maltose binding protein (MBP) fused to a recombinant allergenic molecule with a molecular mass of 58 kDa, from a mixture of several proteins. Also, plasmid DNA could be isolated from a mixture containing chromosomal DNA and RNA, avoiding the use of organic solvents. Electrophoresis was performed at 150 V, 35 degrees C, pH 8.0 and 8.3 for protein and DNA, respectively. The protein or the DNA obtained showed a yield of 80% and a purity grade of 90%, as estimated by densitometry.