Can polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis be used for protein staining?

The present review concentrates on techniques for the staining and quantification of proteins separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Staining with organic dyes has been used for approximately thirty years; the silver staining technique was introduced in 1979.

What is polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)?

As a well-established electrophoresis technique, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is ubiquitously applied to routine protein analyses in biochemistry and molecular biology labs [, , ].

What is intrinsic fluorescence detection in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)?

Thanks to its label-free and stain-free feature, intrinsic fluorescence detection has been introduced to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), a fundamental and ubiquitous protein analysis technique, to avoid the tedious detection process.

What is protein electrophoresis in a gel matrix?

Electrophoresis in a gel matrix stands as the most popular technique, employing a variety of gel materials such as starch gels, dextran gels, agarose gels, and polyacrylamide gels . In this protocol, we will focus on protein electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels.

Is there an online intrinsic fluorescence imaging method for stain-free polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis?

We developed an online intrinsic fluorescence imaging method for stain-free polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We redesigned the arrangement of the light source and the gel electrophoresis apparatus for high imaging performance. Online imaging realized the label-free and real-time monitoring of the protein separation process.

How long does it take to detect a protein in gel electrophoresis?

These detection steps take 6–8 h to complete and require a skilled operator. Moreover, the slab gel must be taken out of the gel electrophoresis apparatus (GEA) before staining and imaging. Such an offline detection inevitably causes the broadening of protein bands and compromises the resolution and sensitivity of the PAGE technique.