What is dialysis most useful for during the process of protein purification?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When considering dialysis in the context of protein purification, think about what the method accomplishes in general terms.
Option 1: "Lysing the cells". This is not what dialysis does; lysing cells is a mechanical/chemical disruption step used to release intracellular contents, not a diffusion-based cleanup across a membrane.
Option 2: "Removing salt from the solution". This is the hallmark use of dialysis in purification workflows: exchanging the buffer and removing small ions or other low-molecular-weight solutes by diffusion through a semipermeable membrane, leaving larger protein molecules behind.
Option 3: "Precipitating the protein". Dialysis does not inherently precipitate proteins; precipitation is often achieved by changing solvent conditions (salts, pH, precipitants) to reduce solubility, which is a separate step from dialysis.
Option 4: "Breaking apart protein quaternary structures". Dialysis is not a method for disassembling protein complexes; it does not actively disrupt intermolecular interactions to separate subunits.
Option 5: "Measuring protein concentration". Dialysis does not quantify protein content; concentration measurements require assays or UV spectroscopy, not the diffusion-based exchange performed by dialysis.
Thus, the option that aligns with the purpose of dialysis in purification workflows is removing salt from the solution.

CHEM108_WI25_A00 Final Exam

What is dialysis most useful for during the process of protein purification?

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