Thin Layer Electrophoresis

Thin Layer Electrophoresis (TLE) is one of the zone electrophoresis, and the supporting medium of it is a thin layer of silica, alumina or cellulose. Thin layer electrophoresis can obtain fundamental information about the charge of the molecule compared to thin layer chromatography.

In thin layer electrophoresis, the size of the molecule does not affect its mobility because the pore size of the medium is very much larger than the molecule. Instead, after an electric field has been applied for a period of time, the charge on the molecule is proportional to the distance the molecule travels, so the separation of amino acids is available based on this principle.

Fig.1 Illustration of thin layer electrophoresis

• Preparation
  Prepare electrophoresis buffer with a certain pH and thin layer strips of appropriate size, including an uncharged internal standard to correct for electroosmosis, which is the tendency of the solvent to migrate in an electric field.
• Sample Application
  Apply a certain amount of sample solution on the thin layer with capillary tubes or trace pipettes.
• Electrophoresis
  Add an appropriate amount of buffer to the electrophoresis tank to soak the platinum electrode. Switch on the electrophoresis apparatus and set the voltage and current. Perform electrophoresis for a period of time.
• Determination
  Spray ninhydrin to develop the strip or dry it to measure the migration distance, and then calculate the charge.
  Notes: Part of the solution involved in this experiment is corrosive or irritating. Please handle it carefully with gloves.

• Better resolution than paper electrophoresis
• Less time consumption
• Calculation of the molecule charge

• Two-dimensional study of nucleic acid and protein hydrolysate
• Combination with electrophoretic chromatography
• Laboratory teaching

Electrophoresis Systems

An electrophoresis system applies an electric charge to molecules, causing them to migrate toward their oppositely charged electrode. It’s the device for electrophoresis performing and is usually divided into horizontal type and suspension type. The choice of electrophoresis systems depends on the molecule of study, the method of separation and the downstream application.

Electrophoresis Accessories

We provide comprehensive electrophoresis accessories including electrophoresis power supplies, combs, UV blocking mats, exposure cassettes, gel cutting tools, short plates, spacer plates, and so on, for gel preparation and electrophoresis performance in electrophoresis experiments.

pH Meters

A pH meter is an instrument used to determine the pH value of a solution, utilizing the relationship between the electromotive force of the galvanic cell and the hydrogen ion concentration. A pH meter is used to determine the pH value of buffers in electrophoresis experiments. The temperature and ionic strength should be considered in pH measurement.

Pipettes

Pipettes are used to aspirate and dispense larger and specific amounts of liquid. They made be reusable or disposable, made from glass or plastic (typically polystyrene), nonsterile, sterile, or autoclavable, and cotton-plugged or plain. Accurate liquid measurements, dilutions, and transfer is key to most successful laboratory assays and analyses.

STEMart provides you with a variety of electrophoresis equipment or consumables to meet your various R&D and application needs. If you have any questions or requirements for thin layer electrophoresis, please feel free to contact us.