High resolution separation of proteins, based on charge differences, i
s possible with disc electrophoresis, displacement electrophoresis (is
otachophoresis) and notably isoelectric focusing (IEF). Size separatio
n is obtained in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophor
esis (SDS-PAGE). The combination of gel IEF, followed by SDS-PAGE in a
second-dimensional slab gel, i.e. two-dimensional gel electrophoresis
, affords the highest resolution with up to several thousand spots per
gel. Staining of proteins gives high resolution patterns which can be
scanned and stored in comprehensive databases. Over the last 10 years
the electrophoretic separation in gels and subsequent visualization o
f nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) and even genes as well as nucleotides have
been much improved, making possible efficient mapping of the genes in
humans and all other organisms. This has led to the biggest concerted
endeavor in the history of science, i.e. the mapping of the human geno
me, which will be of importance as long as mankind exists. In the last
years electrophoresis in capillaries has attracted much interest beca
use for numerous substances, such as proteins nucleic acids, pharmaceu
ticals, metabolites, and peptides, it offers high resolution on the an
alytical scale with over 1 million theoretical plates. Electrophoretic
methods have unprecedented impact on life sciences, providing a basis
for unique advances in biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, gen
e technology and medicine.