Technology

Divide & Conquer
Protein identification analyses, especially mass spectrometry, cannot handle very complex mixtures of proteins, and require some form of front-end fractionation. The dPC™ is the fast, reliable, easy-to-use and affordable option for fractionation.
Downstream drawing

The dPC™ Platform
Proteins are quickly trapped at their pI in pH controlled gel plugs. Protein Forest’s parallel fractionation technology platform differs from conventional IPG electrophoresis by allowing proteins access to the entire pH range until they become trapped.
By creating controlled pH zones in the electrode chambers, proteins are forced to migrate toward the dPC™.

When a protein encounters a gel plug at, or very near its pI, its migration stops.

Proteins in gel plugs not at their pI
traverse the dPC™ in a short period of time,
enter the opposite electrode chamber,
change charge due to the change in pH environment,
change direction and move toward the dPC™ again.

Proteins continue to circulate through the dPC™ until the mixture is separated in each of the pI traps.
Plugs

Protein Forest’s technology platform is highly specific, capable of segregating proteins in fractions less than 0.1 pH units apart. The dPC™ technology is covered by pending patents that are wholly owned by Protein Forest, Inc.


A Dynamic Separation Technique
The dPC™ relies on a dynamic separation process:
Proteins are positively charged in the anode buffer chamber at a pH below their pI, and negatively charged in the cathode chamber at a pH above their pI.

When an electric field is applied, proteins move toward the dPC™

A protein traverses the dPC™ through gel plugs where the pHs are not at the protein’s pI.

When a protein encounters a gel plug very near its pI, its migration velocity is greatly reduced, and the protein becomes trapped.
Below is a schematic animation of the separation of three proteins with different pI values: pI = 4.5, pI = 5.1 & pI = 5.7. The proteins circulate in the system before becoming trapped in the proper dPC™ plugs.


dPC Demo
[-] Cathode Buffer dPC™ Anode Buffer [+]