Gelelektrofiltration

Gelelektrofiltration is a laboratory technique that combines a gel matrix with an applied electric field to separate and purify charged molecules. The method relies on electrophoretic migration within a gel, typically made of agarose or polyacrylamide, whose porous network acts as a molecular sieve while the electric field drives charged species through the matrix. Separation occurs according to a combination of size, shape and charge, allowing resolution of closely related species.

In practice, samples are prepared in buffer, loaded onto or into a gel or compatible filtration chamber, and subjected to a controlled electric potential. The gel matrix restricts diffusion and provides a medium for selective mobility; temperature and buffer conditions influence efficiency. For preparative use, fractions can be collected by slicing the gel after migration or by electroelution to recover individual components.

Applications include analytical and preparative separation of nucleic acids and proteins, as well as certain small molecules, with use in molecular biology labs and forensic or clinical contexts. The technique is related to, and sometimes conflated with, gel filtration (size-exclusion chromatography) and standard gel electrophoresis; in Dutch-language sources gelelektrofiltration is not always standardized as a separate technique.

Limitations include relatively low throughput and potential sample loss or damage from heat or denaturation, depending on conditions and matrix. Safety concerns relate to the gel materials and reagents used.