Electrophoretic process

Claim 1

In an electrophoretic method for separating components of a mixed macromolecule sample, the steps of a. depositing an electrically conductive buffer solution containing at least two flexible paper-thin liquid-permeable membranes in spaced apart side-by-side relationship onto an essentially rigid generally flat support plate and layering an interconnecting buffer solution containing wick between adjacent edges of said membranes; b. pressing the membranes against the plate to provide a flat configuration to the membranes corresponding to that of the plate with intimate contact between the membranes and the plate; c. removing excess buffer solution from the membranes and area of contact between the membranes and the plate; d. providing two paths of buffer solution sorbed in wicks, each extending from an opposing edge of an outermost of said membranes to separate reservoirs of buffer solution; e. applying a plurality of samples to the exposed surfaces of at least two of said membranes; and f. electrophesing the samples by passing an electric current across said membranes between said buffer reservoirs maintained at opposite polarities while said membranes are maintained having one surface in contact with said plate and with their opposite surfaces exposed.

Claim 4

A method for carrying out counter-electrophoresis at an optimum distance to be maintained on a counter-electrophoresis membrane between an unknown protein sample and a plurality of antisera which comprises applying to a test membrane a plurality of site applications of a known control protein specimen along a first straight line perpendicular to the expected line of protein migration, applying to said membrane a plurality of site applications of a monospecific anti-serum for said protein along a second straight line spaced from said first straight line and at an angle thereto, subjecting said membrane to electrophoresis to cause at least a portion of said protein and at least a portion of said antiserum to migrate toward each other and form a precipitin line, measuring the distance between said first and second straight lines where the precipitin line is about midway between them and thereafter subjecting an unknown protein specimen to counter-electrophoresis on a test membrane on which the protein specimen is applied to said membrane in a plurality of site applications in a line perpendicular to the expected line of protein migration and a plurality of antisera are applied to said membrane in a plurality of site applications in a line parallel to said line of protein applications and spaced therefrom by said measured distance.

Claim 5

A method for carrying out counter-electrophoresis at an optimum distance to be maintained on a counter-electrophoresis membrane between an unknown protein sample and a plurality of antisera which comprises applying to a test membrane a plurality of site applications of a known control protein specimen along a first straight line perpendicular to the expected line of protein migration, applying to said membrane a plurality of site applications of a monospecific anti-serum for said protein along a second straight line spaced from said first straight line and at an angle thereto, subjecting said membrane to electrophoresis to cause at least a portion of said protein and at least a portion of said antiserum to migrate toward each other and form a precipitin line, measuring the distance between said first and second straight lines where the precipitin line is about midway between them and thereafter subjecting an unknown protein specimen to counter-electrophoresis on a test membrane on which the protein specimen is applied to said membrane in a plurality of site applications in a line perpendicular to the expected line of protein migration and a plurality of antisera are applied to said membrane in a plurality of site applications in a line parallel to said line of protein applications and spaced therefrom by said measured distance.