(96f) Understanding Protein-Surfactant Structure for Efficient and High Resolution Electrophoretic Separation On Microchip Platforms

The study of interactions of protein with surfactants is not only important from biochemical stand point to determining the mechanism, but also is necessary in many applications such as pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry. In recent years, microfluidic devices have been demonstrated as effective analytical tools in the field of protein separation, detection and quantification. Here we present interaction of proteins with both anionic and cationic surfactants in presence of hydrophobic dye molecules. Using fluorescent microscopy, we quantify these interactions for number of proteins. The results of this study can be used to develop new methods for sizing, sensitive detection and quantification of proteins and protein isoforms. We will also present microfluidic separation of proteins under different conditions of channel surfaces. The results will be discussed using the fundamental principles of protein migration in polymer gels and transport equation.