Electrophoretic+Separation+of+Proteins

Cyanobactera, also known as blue-green algae, obtain their energy by photosynthesis using sunlight as their energy source. These organisms have been considered to be the oldest and the most important bacteria on the earth. One class of photosynthetic pigments in Cyanobacteria consists of water-soluble proteins and the major protein is called Phycocyanin, which is blue In of this exercise, students prepare a water-soluble extract from blue green algae and show that it contains the single major protein Phycocyanin by electrophoresis as shown in the gel below. They also determine the charge of this protein by comparing its electrophoretic mobility to the mobilities of dyes and proteins with known charges. The results of this study give students practical hands-on experience with isolation of components from cells as well as electrophoresis and introduces them to one of the most important organisms on the earth.