Improvements in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis by utilizing a low cost "in-house" neutral pH sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) is widely used for initial protein separation in proteomics. Commercial products using neutral pH sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis ((SDS-PAGE)/(Bis (2-hydroxyethyl) imino-tris (hydroxymethyl) methane-HCl, or Bis-Tris)) have greatly improved this technique, but cost and limited sizes restrict their applications. An "in-house" system is presented, resulting in better resolution, separation, and new spot visualization and improved resolution when compared to Tris-HCl gels. Their utility is demonstrated using albumin-depleted serum samples, rabbit heart left ventricle, and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).