Requirements of making the membrane:
The membrane used for cellulose acetate electrophoresis has strict requirements. Firstly, the raw material for membrane production, cellulose acetate, must have high purity. It should not contain impurities such as hemicellulose, lignin, or heavy metal ions. This is particularly important for the separation and analysis of samples, as obtaining good experimental results can be challenging without a pure membrane. Secondly, the membrane should have a uniform coating, appropriate thickness, and good water absorption. To achieve this, the membrane should be coated in one direction, avoiding repeated back-and-forth strokes. The recommended thickness for the membrane is between 0.1 to 0.15 mm. If the membrane is too thick, it will have poor water absorption and result in poor separation. Conversely, if the membrane is too thin, it becomes prone to breakage and lacks the necessary mechanical strength.
Pre-treatment of the membrane before electrophoresis:
As mentioned earlier, cellulose acetate membrane has less affinity for water compared to paper. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the membrane contains a certain amount of buffer solution before running electrophoresis. The membrane should be pre-soaked in the buffer solution. The correct method for soaking the membrane is to gently float it on the surface of the buffer solution, allowing the membrane to gradually absorb the buffer solution from the bottom and sink into the solution to avoid bubbles on the surface of the membrane to affect the separation results.
Additionally, after the membrane has been soaked, extra buffer solution should be gently removed using filter paper. It should not be dried out completely nor excessively wet. If it is too dry, it hampers the electrophoretic separation. If it is too wet, it can affect sample loading, causing the sample lines to spread and the starting points of each component to become uneven, thereby affecting the separation efficiency.
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Details to know about Beijing Liuyi Biotechnology’s cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis tank and its electrophoresis application, please visit here:
l Experiment for separating serum protein by Cellulose Acetate Membrane
l Cellulose Acetate Membrane Electrophoresis
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Reference: Electrophoresis(Second edition) by Mr. He and Mr.Zhang
Post time: May-29-2023