Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS)

Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS)

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is an anionic detergent widely used in biochemistry and molecular biology. It is a key component of SDS-PAGE (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis), a technique used to separate proteins based on their molecular weight.

SDS denatures proteins by breaking non-covalent bonds and imparting a uniform negative charge, allowing them to migrate through the gel in proportion to their size. Beyond electrophoresis, SDS is used in cell lysis and DNA extraction protocols. Its ability to disrupt lipid membranes makes it a valuable tool for studying protein structure and function.