DNA Electrophoresis: Historical and Theoretical Perspectives

The technique of gel electrophoresis is now firmly established as a routine laboratory method for analyzing DNA. Here, we describe the development of the methodology as well as a brief explanation of how the technique works. There is a short introduction to pulsed-field agarose gel electrophoresis, which represents a critical advancement in the method that facilitates the analysis of very large fragments of DNA. Finally, theoretical considerations are included.