Electrophoretic Methods

• Electrophoretic methods use an electrical field generated between two electrodes to test the biological sample. Depending on the sample and the tools being used, the process requires a number of different substances, from chemical buffers to gel mediums. When the electrical current is applied to the sample, the molecules of the sample begin to migrate through the gel or into the buffer. The speed and rate at which these molecules move show what kind of particles they are, thus allowing scientists to accurately determine what the sample is made of.
  
  

Hydrodynamic Methods

• Hydrodynamics is used to determine the properties of macromolecules, or large molecules made of several different substances that often play a vital role in biological processes. The field of hydrodynamics is very wide and includes many different models and processes. Generally, by studying the way particles diffuse through a fluid, how they react with the fluid, and how they react to each other when a fluid is introduced, scientists can determine a large amount of information regarding their electrical properties, mass and behavior, allowing them to pinpoint what type of macromolecules they are.
  
  

Electron Microscopy

• Electron Microscope drawing
  
  This is a method of examining samples by using an electron microscope. These microscopes send out particle streams of electrons that interact with the sample and are then read by electronic equipment to produce a digital image. This allows scientists to examine particles at millions of magnification multiples, so that the particles may be identified by shape or behavior. There are several different kinds of electron microscopes: Some read the electrons that pass through the sample to create an image, while others read electrons that bounce off the sample.
  
  

Mass Spectrometry

• Results of a Mass Spectra test
  
  A mass spectrometer takes molecules and ionizes them, usually by directing high-energy electrons at the molecules, which will cause them to become charged. The results of this ionization are then examined used electrical fields, which in turn produce graphs that show the presence of specific atoms involved in the molecule's composition. Sometimes the molecules fragment apart and release neutral fragments, but by examining the properties of these fragments and what fragments are most ionized, scientists can discover a large amount of information about the sample.