Development of a Schlieren Optics for Real-Time Visualization of Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

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Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is suitable for analysis and separation of proteins and nucleic acids, and gives results with high sensitivity and high resolution. Beautiful patterns of separation is, however, only possible to be visualized after staining of the gel. The aim of the present study was to establish a method by which electrophoretic patterns in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis can be visualized in a real-time mode by the use of schlieren optics.As the outcome of our effort, bands of proteins of nucleic acids can now be detected by the optics with sensitivity comparable to the routine conventional staining procedures. Use of an image analyzer together with the optics makes it possible to store and analyze the data obtained by a personal computer. The optics can also be utilized for localization of a sample band without staining and sampling the corresponding part for sample collection. The optics can also be effectively used for visualization of separation of protein bands in a concentrated crosslinker-free polyacrylamide solution. Since such linear polymer solutions are now finding practical value as media for capillary electrophoreses, the schlieren optics developed in the present study should provide basic data which may be efficient in designing such media for capillary electrophoresis.