[madscientist]

Hi all,

I have a question im trying to answer and have not been able to find any sort of reference for an answer. the question is as follows:

Cellulose acetate and polyacrylamide gels give better separations than paper as an electrophoresis support.  Can you suggest some factors that might be responsible for this?

All i can think of is that due to electrophoresis involving separation of molecules by there size and charge, it must have somthing to do with paper being less conductive and that paper has a less consistant matrix relative to cellulose acetate and polyacrylamide gels.

Is this a correct assumption, can anyone give any hints as to what some other factors would be?

Any help or hints appreciated,

cheers,

madscientist

[madscientist]

Is this question better off being asked in the biochemistry forum?

[Wisemanleo]

Well, remember that paper is made of just cellulose, which are long fibres. There's no pores or anything that could separate bands based on size.

[madscientist]

Thanks for that wise, I had read that about the the gels being porous but thought that paper was porous too.

Cheers

mad