What does PAGE stand for in the context of protein analysis?

In the context of protein analysis, PAGE stands for polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This technique is widely used to separate proteins based on their size and charge. Polyacrylamide gels provide a medium through which proteins can migrate when an electric field is applied, allowing for the separation of protein samples for further analysis. The method is highly effective because polyacrylamide can be adjusted in concentration, allowing researchers to tailor the gel's porosity to the size of the proteins they are investigating. This versatility and effectiveness make PAGE a fundamental technique in biochemistry and molecular biology for analyzing protein composition, studying protein purity, and determining molecular weight.