Merck, 71725-50G, Sodium dodecyl sulfate

Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), also known as sodium lauryl sulfate, is a versatile anionic surfactant with a broad range of applications in molecular biology, biochemistry, and various industries. Its amphiphilic nature, characterized by a hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail and a hydrophilic sulfate head group, makes it an effective detergent capable of solubilizing and denaturing proteins, lipids, and other hydrophobic molecules. In protein biochemistry, SDS plays a pivotal role in protein extraction and SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). Its ability to denature proteins by disrupting their secondary and tertiary structures allows for their uniform migration during gel electrophoresis, enabling the separation and analysis of proteins based on their molecular weight. This technique has become an indispensable tool for identifying and characterizing proteins in biological samples. Beyond its role in protein analysis, SDS also finds utility in nucleic acid extraction and various hybridization techniques. Its detergent properties aid in the lysis of cells and the release of nucleic acids, facilitating their subsequent purification and analysis. Additionally, SDS is employed in hybridization techniques to promote the annealing of complementary nucleic acid strands, enabling the detection and analysis of specific DNA or RNA sequences.