The application of schlieren optics for detection of protein bands and other phenomena in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

A modernized schlieren optics system was applied to follow protein bands visually during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This approach is suitable for quantitative measurement of electrophoresis as well as for detection of protein bands because of the absence of distortion of the electrophoretic pattern during the staining process. The optics are also suitable for the detection of various background phenomena which usually escape observation.