Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Electrophoresis: Amino Acids and Protein Analysis

In course

PHYS-468: Physics of life

Life has emerged on our planet from physical principles such as molecular self-organization, thermodynamics, stochastics and iterative refinement. This course will introduce the physical methods to study life and will discuss the quantitative and physical ...

Description

This lecture covers the properties and conventions associated with standard amino acids, including pK values, isoelectric focusing, and capillary electrophoresis. It explains the titration curve for glycine, the acid-base properties of amino acids, and the setup of a pH gradient in a gel. The lecture also delves into isoelectric focusing, detailing how proteins migrate in a pH gradient and stop at their isoelectric point. Furthermore, it explores electroblotting techniques for DNA and protein analysis, such as Western and Northern blotting, and the principles behind capillary electrophoresis for high-resolution separation of biomolecules.

Instructor

Henning Paul-Julius Stahlberg

Positions: Since 2020 Prof. Physics, IPHYS, SB, EPFL, Switzerland 2009 – 2021 Prof. Structural Biology, Biozentrum, University Basel, Switzerland 2009 – 2010 Adj. Assoc. Prof. Molecular & Cellular Biology, UC Davis, CA, USA 2007 – 2009 Assoc. Prof. Molecular & Cellular Biology, UC Davis, CA, USA 2003 – 2007 Assist. Prof. Molecular & Cellular Biology, UC Davis, CA, USA Education: 2002 Habilitation, Biozentrum, University Basel, Switzerland 1997 – 2003 Postdoctoral Fellow, Biozentrum, University Basel, Switzerland 1992 – 1997 PhD Student, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland 1990 – 1991 Diploma Thesis in Solid State Physics, TU Berlin, Germany 1987 – 1993 Study of Physics, TU Berlin, Germany Selected Awards & Honors: 2009 W.M.Keck Award 2004 CAREER award, NSF, USA 2002 Habilitation, University Basel, Switzerland Selected Memberships: 2008 – 2013 Chancellor’s Fellow Award, UC Davis, CA, USA 2004 – 2009 Faculty of 1000 Since 1992 Swiss Society for Optics and Microscopy (SSOM)

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Biology

Molecular biology: Topics in molecular biology

Related concepts (32)

Gel electrophoresis

Gel electrophoresis is a method for separation and analysis of biomacromolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins, etc.) and their fragments, based on their size and charge. It is used in clinical chemistry to separate proteins by charge or size (IEF agarose, essentially size independent) and in biochemistry and molecular biology to separate a mixed population of DNA and RNA fragments by length, to estimate the size of DNA and RNA fragments or to separate proteins by charge.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, abbreviated as 2-DE or 2-D electrophoresis, is a form of gel electrophoresis commonly used to analyze proteins. Mixtures of proteins are separated by two properties in two dimensions on 2D gels. 2-DE was first independently introduced by O'Farrell and Klose in 1975. 2-D electrophoresis begins with electrophoresis in the first dimension and then separates the molecules perpendicularly from the first to create an electropherogram in the second dimension.

Agarose gel electrophoresis

Agarose gel electrophoresis is a method of gel electrophoresis used in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and clinical chemistry to separate a mixed population of macromolecules such as DNA or proteins in a matrix of agarose, one of the two main components of agar. The proteins may be separated by charge and/or size (isoelectric focusing agarose electrophoresis is essentially size independent), and the DNA and RNA fragments by length.

Northern blot

The northern blot, or RNA blot, is a technique used in molecular biology research to study gene expression by detection of RNA (or isolated mRNA) in a sample. With northern blotting it is possible to observe cellular control over structure and function by determining the particular gene expression rates during differentiation and morphogenesis, as well as in abnormal or diseased conditions. Northern blotting involves the use of electrophoresis to separate RNA samples by size, and detection with a hybridization probe complementary to part of or the entire target sequence.

Northwestern blot

The northwestern blot, also known as the northwestern assay, is a hybrid analytical technique of the western blot and the northern blot, and is used in molecular biology to detect interactions between RNA and proteins. A related technique, the western blot, is used to detect a protein of interest that involves transferring proteins that are separated by gel electrophoresis onto a nitrocellulose membrane. A colored precipitate clusters along the band on the membrane containing a particular target protein.

Related lectures (32)

Genetic Mechanisms: Prader Willi Syndrome

Explores the genetic mechanisms of Prader Willi syndrome and DNA analysis techniques.

Exploring Proteins: Structure, Purification, and Analysis

Covers protein exploration, purification, and analysis methods, including sequencing, concentration measurement, and antibody detection.

Proteins: Structure, Properties, and Analysis

Explores protein structure, properties, and analysis techniques, emphasizing the importance of understanding protein charge and interpreting UV and CD spectra.

Protein Structure Exploration

Explores protein composition, synthesis, purification, and analysis techniques for understanding protein structure and function.

Exploring Genes and Genomes