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Problems and prospects in the theory of gel electrophoresis of DNA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2009

Bruno H. Zimm  and
Stephen D. Levene
Bruno H. Zimm
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of California (San Diego), La Jolla, CA 92093–0317, USA
Stephen D. Levene
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of California (San Diego), La Jolla, CA 92093–0317, USA
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Electrophoresis of DNA through gels of agarose or polyacrylamide (PA) has been one of the most widely used techniques of molecular biology during the past decade, serving both analytical and preparative purposes. The molecular theory of this process has been developing slowly over the same period of time as the result of the efforts of a small but expanding group of people. Initially simple, the theory has grown in ways that no one anticipated at the beginning, partly in response to unexpected experimental discoveries. In this review we describe its current state, including both solved and unsolved problems.

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Type
Research Article
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Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , May 1992 , pp. 171 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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