Protein Purification Techniques

Abstract

A wide variety of protein purification methods that can be combined to generate a suitable purification scheme are available. To understand the nature of a biomolecule like protein, it must be purified to near homogeneity. Purified protein may be used for a cloning or may be used to learn about its catalytic activities and its responsiveness to regulatory molecules that raise or lower the activity or interactions with other proteins. For attaining the goal of a pure protein, the cardinal rule is that the ratio of the target protein (in terms of its activity) to the total protein is increased to the limit. Usually, one executes a series of purification steps. Combining early ones of high capacity and low resolution (when large amounts of protein is present) with lower capacity and higher resolution ones (when less protein is present) at later stages of purification scheme.