ABSTRACT
Since the pioneering work of Klose1 and O´Farrell,2 two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis has become a key technology in proteome analysis. It provides the high resolving power necessary to separate complex protein samples prior to protein identifi cation via mass spectrometry methods. In the early publications from Klose’s group, around 300 protein spots in a mouse tissue sample could be separated. With many refi nements over the last three decades, 2D gels are now capable of separating up to 5000 proteins in a
single run. 2DE is the only analytical technique capable of such resolving power. It is somewhat surprising that so far all technological attempts to achieve protein separation in a single and preferably automated step have not been successful.
