Electrophoresis is one of the main molecular biology techniques, they are considered the most used technique in laboratories in everything related to nucleic acid research. Using electrophoresis, we can separate DNA and RNA fragments based on their size and electrical charge through their migration through a porous material (gel), visualize them by staining, and determine the content of nucleic acids or proteins in a sample. , thus having an estimate of its concentration.

The porous gel used in this technique acts as a molecular sieve that separates the larger molecules from the smaller ones. Smaller molecules move faster through the gel while larger ones are left behind. The mobility of the particles is also controlled by their individual electrical charge.

This technique uses a discontinuous buffer. A cathode is located in the upper chamber, and the anode is located in the lower chamber. The electrodes present in each compartment provide the required electric field. A thin layer of gel is poured between the two mounted glass plates. Therefore, the upper part of the gel is immersed in the upper chamber, and the lower part of the gel is immersed in the lower chamber.

In vertical gel electrophoresis, the buffer only flows through the gel. Acrylamide gel can be used as the compartments are not exposed to atmospheric oxygen. Due to the smaller pore size of the acrylamide gel, precise separation can be achieved with higher resolution.