Protein sample preparation

Protein sample preparation typically includes cell disruption or lysis, extraction, preservation of the protein, cleanup or removal of contaminants, and sometimes concentration. In general, protein sample preparation is the generation of protein samples for applications such as ELISA, SDS-PAGE or other electrophoresis method, or chromatography. The specific kit or reagents you use depends on the type of sample (cell or tissue type), the location of the protein, the amount of sample yield you need, and the downstream application you’re preparing the sample for. The quality of sample preparation can greatly affect the quality of your data, so it’s important to choose the right methods and reagents for your application.

Factors to consider during protein sample preparation

Since there is a wide variety of protein sample types and sources, no universal sample preparation approach can yield optimal results for all proteins. However, the following general sample preparation principles can help avoid common mistakes:

• Keep sample preparation procedures as straightforward as possible because increasing the number of sample handling steps may increase variability.
• Use protease inhibitors with cell or tissue lysates to reduce proteolysis-induced artifacts; however, such inhibitors are usually unnecessary when working with materials such as serum or plasma.
• Dissolve proteins in a buffer solution compatible with the downstream technique.
• Use compatible protein assays to determine the amount of target protein content in each sample.
• Prevent damage from repeated freeze-thaw cycles by using protein extracts quickly or aliquoting them into suitable batches and storing them at -70°C.

Protein sample prep kit FAQs

Below are some commonly asked questions about protein sample prep kits:

How to prepare protein samples?
Protein sample preparation mainly comprises the following steps:

• Cell disruption
• Extraction
• Removal of contaminants
• Alterations of physiochemical characteristics
• Concentration

What is included in a protein sample preparation kit?
Protein sample prep kits often contain reagents needed to prepare lysates from samples and controls. These buffered solutions can help lyse adherent and non-adherent cell cultures in non-denaturing conditions.

What protein sample prep kits does Cytiva offer?
Our protein sample prep kits, buffer reagents, and lab equipment facilitate the quick extraction, purification, clean-up, and concentration of target proteins. These products are suitable for use with various tissue and cell types. Their compatibility with different protein purification resins and formats gives users more options and higher protein recovery rates.

Protein sample prep kits and resins support use in several processes, including desalting and buffer exchange. Sample preparation is essential to purify proteins for use in functional or structural research. Our range of reagents and enzymes for cell lysis and protein extraction offers ample flexibility. They allow you to design an extraction process optimized for the specific cells and proteins of interest.

Choose from a diverse array of options for protein enrichment, including agarose resins and magnetic beads. Membrane-based technologies for concentrating protein samples, such as tangential flow filtration (TFF)-based separation, make the concentration, desalting, and buffer exchange fast and easy.