(483a) Simultaneous 2d Electrofocusing

The state-of-the-art in whole-protein separations is still 2D-PAGE despite the fact that it is slow, labor-intensive, and has a dynamic range and peak capacity that are insufficient in the analysis of most complex biological systems. It may be possible to replace 2D-PAGE with a pair of electrofocusing methods that are run simultaneously and which are carried out in chromatographic format rather than in a gel. Not only would this reduce the run-time, but it would also replace the manual transition between separation dimensions in 2D-PAGE with the automation common to modern, multidimensional chromatography.

This paper will describe some of the characteristics of the one-dimensional electrofocusing methods that are needed to construct this platform. It will illustrate how two such methods can be combined into a single device and will finish with estimates of the performance that should be expected from this column.