Isoelectric focusing gels and methods of use thereof

1 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . A hydratable gel strip, comprising:

a dehydrated acrylamide matrix attached to a support,

wherein said gel strip is capable of rehydrating in 6 hours at room temperature, and wherein the acrylamide matrix ranges from not less than about pH 3.5 to not more than about pH 7.5 upon rehydration, or the acrylamide matrix has a pH range from about 3.0 to about 10.0.

12 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 11 , the said gel strip is capable of rehydrating in 2 hours at room temperature.

13 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 12 , wherein said gel strip is capable of rehydrating in 60 minutes at room temperature.

14 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 11 , wherein the acrylamide matrix ranges from not less than about pH 3.5 to not more than about pH 7.5 upon rehydration.

15 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 11 , wherein said acrylamide matrix is cast from a basic solution and an acidic solution, the basic solution comprising a combined concentration of at least about 32 mM of acrylamido buffers.

16 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 15 , wherein the basic solution comprises at least three acylamido buffers.

17 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 11 , wherein the hydratable gel strip has a buffer capacity beta value of greater than 3 mEq/L/pH.

18 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 17 , wherein the gel strip has a buffer capacity beta value of between 4 and 6 mEq/L/pH.

19 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 17 , wherein the gel strip has a buffer capacity beta value of 5 mEq/L/pH.

20 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 18 , wherein the gel strip has a buffer capacity beta value of 5 mEq/L/pH.

21 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 17 , wherein the gel strip comprises an acrylamido buffer.

22 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 11 , wherein the gel strip has at least one of a buffer capacity, a buffer concentration, and a charge density that is greater than a traditional isoelectric focusing gel strip.

23 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the buffer capacity, the buffer concentration, and the charge density is at least 33% greater than a traditional isoelectric focusing gel strip.

24 . The hydratable gel strip of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the buffer capacity, the buffer concentration, and the charge density is at least 66% greater than a traditional isoelectric focusing gel strip.

25 . A method for separating proteins of a sample using an electrophoretic field, comprising:

a) rehydrating a dried gel strip; and

b) isoelectrically focusing proteins of the sample within the rehydrated gel strip, wherein the method is performed in no more than 4 hours.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the method is performed in about 3 hours.

27 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising placing the rehydrated gel comprising the isoelectrically focused proteins on a slab gel, and separating the proteins in a second dimension according to a characteristic other than isoelectric point, wherein the method is completed in no more than 8 hours.

28 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the method is completed in about 4 hours.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein proteins are separated in the second dimension based on their molecular weight.

30 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the rehydrated gel strip has a buffer capacity beta value of at least 3 mEq/L/pH.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the rehydrated gel strip has a buffer capacity beta value of between 4 and 6 mEq/L/pH.

32 . A gel having a pH that varies progressively along the length of said gel, comprising:

a polymer matrix cast from an acidic solution and a basic solution, said polymer matrix comprising at least one polyacrylamide species and said gel, once dried, is capable of rehydrating in no more than about 8 hours at room temperature.

33 . The gel of claim 32 , wherein said gel, once dried, is capable of rehydrating in not more than about 2 hours at room temperature.

34 . The gel of claim 33 , wherein said gel, once dried, is capable of rehydrating in not more than about 60 minutes at room temperature.

35 . The gel of any one of claims 32 - 34 , wherein said gel has a buffering capacity beta value of greater than 3 mEq/L/pH.

36 . The gel of claim 35 , wherein the buffering capacity beta value is 5 mEq/L/pH.

37 . The gel of claim 35 , wherein said gel has a pH that ranges from not less than about pH 3.5 to not more than about pH 7.5.

38 - 117 . (canceled)

118 . A kit comprising a hydratable gel strip according to claim 11 .

119 . The kit of claim 118 , wherein the kit comprises between 2 and 20 hydratable gel strips.

120 . The kit of claim 119 , wherein the gel strips are contained within a tri-fold card.

121 . The kit of claim 118 , wherein the kit further comprises an apparatus for performing isoelectric focusing.

122 - 126 . (canceled)