Capillary Electrophoresis
The term "electrophoresis" actually defines a group of analytical separation methods. In general, the technique causes a migration of charged particles (in solution) through a medium by application of an electric field. Intuitively, it is possible to infer that substances move at different rates depending on: electric field strength, viscosity, temperature, pH, ionic
strength, dielectric constant, net charge, size, and shape.
Capillary Electrophoresis provides a separation technique that surpasses any other analytical techniques currently available today. It allows for nanoliter amounts of sample to be injected and analyzed. While you now spend days working with hard-to-handle gels, sophisticated advances will let Capillary Electrophoresis take over. Where today's detection capabilities
range to femtomole levels, attomole detection will become commonplace. Confirmatory research that now involves several different pieces of laboratory equipment can be performed using a single, sophisticated instrument that provides access to varied analytical techniques.
Medco Labs has the Beckman P/ACE System 2000. This new analytical tool is designed to meet the demands of the coming decade for fast, high-resolution separations of biomolecules. P/ACE is an easy-to- use system with straightforward controls designed for rapid success with high performance capillary electrophoresis. P/ACE provides femotomole detection and quantitation from nanoliter sample volumes. P/ACE automates the electrophoretic separation process within a sample-to-program instrument, offering an alternative to cumbersome slab-gel-based electrophoresis. P/ACE achieves separations faster than conventional electrophoresis using capillaries as short as 20 cm from inlet to detector. P/ACE provides the reproducibility essential for analytical separations with thermoelectric temperature control, programmable operation and precise sample injection. P/ACE provides high sample recovery, even with hydrophobic samples. Capillary electrophoresis is ideal for femtomole detection of proteins and peptides, real-time monitoring of enzymatic digests is possible due to the high- speed separation and the potential of diagnostic assays being developed is in the future for the technique. P/ACE complements conventional HPLC by providing a highly efficient analysis technique with unique selectivity while maintaining speed and accuracy. P/ACE is designed as a modular system to allow a variety of detection method updates that will meet the changing needs of 2000 and beyond.
