Southern blotting principles

Western blot. Similar in principle to a Southern blot, but where the species adsorbed to the nitrocellulose filter is a protein, and the detection makes use of specific antibodies. 

The principle behind DNA chips was bom from the basic Southern blot technique, and it is now a fast-moving field at the cutting edge of genome research. The two main scientific elements of DNA chips are the manufacture of microarrays with single-stranded oligonucleotides attached to pixels on the surface and hybridization analysis with spatial resolution. 

This procedure is similar in principle to Southern and Northern blots, but it is designed for the transfer of proteins from gels onto nitrocellulose membranes. An electrophoretic technique is often used to speed the transfer by 10-fold, and the apparatus used for such Western transfers is shown in Figure 9.15. The rapid electrophoretic process ensures that complete transfer occurs with minimal diffusional zone broadening. 

---