Electrophoresis

In chemistry, electrophoresis is the motion of charged dispersed particles or dissolved charged molecules relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric field. As a rule, these are zwitterions. Electrophoresis of positively charged particles or molecules (cations) is sometimes called cataphoresis, while electrophoresis of negatively charged particles or molecules (anions) is sometimes called anaphoresis.

For the process of administering medicine, see Iontophoresis.
For other uses, see Electrophoresis (disambiguation).

Electrophoresis is the basis for analytical techniques used in biochemistry for separating particles, molecules, or ions by size, charge, or binding affinity.

Biochemist Arne Tiselius won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1948 "for his research on electrophoresis and adsorption analysis, especially for his discoveries concerning the complex nature of the serum proteins."

In principle, electrophoresis is used in laboratories to separate macromolecules based on charge. The technique normally applies a negative charge so proteins move towards a positive charge. It is used extensively in DNA, RNA and protein analysis.

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