What does electrophoresis mean?
Electrophoresis is a phenomenon in which charged particles move in a liquid medium under the influence of an electric field. This technology is widely used in fields such as biochemistry, molecular biology, medical diagnostics and materials science. This article will explain in detail the principles, classification, applications and recent hot topics of electrophoresis.
Principles of electrophoresis

The basic principle of electrophoresis is to use electric field force to drive charged particles to move in a liquid medium. The speed at which a particle moves depends on its charge, size, shape, and the viscosity and electric field strength of the medium. The following are the main influencing factors of electrophoresis:
| Influencing factors | Description |
|---|---|
| charge | The greater the charge of a charged particle, the faster it moves. |
| particle size | The smaller the particle, the faster it moves. |
| Electric field strength | The higher the electric field strength, the faster the particles move. |
| Medium viscosity | The higher the viscosity of the medium, the slower the particles move. |
Classification of electrophoresis
Electrophoresis technology can be divided into many types according to different standards. The following are common classifications:
| Classification criteria | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Support media | gel electrophoresis | Use agarose or polyacrylamide gel as the supporting medium. |
| capillary electrophoresis | The use of capillary tubes as separation channels is suitable for efficient separation. | |
| electric field direction | horizontal electrophoresis | The direction of the electric field is parallel to the supporting medium. |
| vertical electrophoresis | The direction of the electric field is perpendicular to the supporting medium. | |
| Application areas | DNA electrophoresis | For isolation and analysis of DNA fragments. |
| protein electrophoresis | For protein separation and analysis. |
Applications of electrophoresis
Electrophoresis technology is widely used in many fields. The following are its main application scenarios:
| Application areas | Specific applications |
|---|---|
| molecular biology | Isolation and analysis of DNA, RNA and proteins. |
| medical diagnosis | Used to detect disease markers, such as hemoglobin electrophoresis to diagnose thalassemia. |
| forensic science | DNA fingerprint analysis is used in criminal investigation. |
| Materials Science | Isolation and characterization of nanomaterials. |
Hot topics and content in the past 10 days
The following are recent hot topics and content related to electrophoresis:
| topic | Content summary | heat index |
|---|---|---|
| New electrophoresis technology | Researchers have developed high-efficiency capillary electrophoresis technology to significantly improve separation efficiency. | ★★★★ |
| Application of electrophoresis in COVID-19 detection | Electrophoresis technology is used to quickly detect RNA fragments of the new coronavirus. | ★★★★★ |
| Nanomaterial electrophoretic separation | Scientists have successfully separated nanoparticles of different sizes using electrophoresis technology. | ★★★ |
| Electrophoresis equipment market growth | The global electrophoresis equipment market size is expected to reach US$XX billion in 2025. | ★★★ |
Summary
Electrophoresis is an important separation and analysis technology widely used in scientific research and industry. With the continuous development of technology, the application prospects of electrophoresis in medical diagnosis, materials science and other fields will be broader. Recent hot topics also show that electrophoresis technology is still innovating and improving.
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