What is the role of polyacrylamide?

Polymerized acrylamide (polyacrylamide) forms a mesh-like matrix suitable for the separation of proteins of typical size. ... Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of SDS-treated proteins allows researchers to separate proteins based on their length in an easy, inexpensive, and relatively accurate manner.

Why polyacrylamide is used for protein separation?

Polyacrylamide has a smaller pore size and is ideal for separating majority of proteins and smaller nucleic acids. Several forms of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) exist, and each form can provide different types of information about proteins of interest.