Multiplexed CE Analysis Sans Detector

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland) have developed a multiplexed capillary electrophoresis system and technique for high-throughput separations. Their system consists of a capillary array with 3-mm-long capillaries that connect individual sample reservoirs to a common buffer reservoir. The technique uses an electric field and buffer counterflow to enable separations. They reduced the counterflow until each analyte was able to enter the channel, and the variation in current over time produced a set of simultaneous electropherograms. They expect the system to be suitable for scale-up to large numbers of simultaneous analyses. The current application is measurements of enzyme activity.