ABSTRACT
Gel filtration (GF) or size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) is a technique in which the solution of a protein is passed through the stationary phase of a gel matrix, and its position of elution relative to other proteins is measured. The matrix is a cross-linked polymer, usually made of acrylamide, dextran, or agarose, with a pore size distribution commensurable with the proteins to be separated. Depending on their size, proteins may be fully or partially excluded from the matrix or they may freely penetrate its holes. The primary measurable feature is the elution volume (Ve, or retention time, Rt, at a given flow rate), which falls between the void volume (Vv), where large proteins that cannot enter the pores elute, and the total volume (Vt), where small proteins that can freely penetrate the pores appear.
