Candy Electrophoresis Lab

      When we analyzed the results of our gel, there were a few minor differences between our dyes and the reference dyes. The reference dyes generally stayed in one clump and stayed in the same shape. Our own dyes dispersed and spread out a little bit more. Our red and yellow dye even left a bit of a trail as it moved forwards. None of the dyes moved in the wrong direction however, so I believe that they are all negatively charged.

      Out of the 4 dye structures that were pictured, I believe that Fast Green FCF is most similar to the dyes we examined in class. It seem to be negatively charged, as were the dyes we used in class, and all the rest of the dye structures pictured are not negatively charged.

       I believe that dog food manufactures put artificial food colors in dog foods as a marketing strategy. Since the owners want the best food for their dogs, they will most likely choose a dog food that looks more appealing, and one that has nice colors in it would look much better than the natural color of the food. Also in my own diet, I think a lot of the food that I eat has artificial food dye in it. I enjoy eating candy which usually has dye in it, and the snacks I sometimes eat, like chips, also are colored artificially.

      The distance that the dye traveled was controlled by different factors. The main factor is the size of the dye molecules and fragments. The smaller the size, the faster and farther the dye would go. The amount of time also contributed to how far the dye went. If we had left the electrophoresis machine on for longer, the dye would have traveled further. The electrical current flowing from negative to positive helped the dyes moved through the gel. The small holes in the electrophoresis gel allowed the dye to separate by size. The bigger the molecule, the longer it will take to get through the holes, which is why smaller molecules get through the gel faster.

      If we had DNA with molecular weights of 600, 1000, 2000, and 5000 daltons, I would expect the 600 and the 1000 molecules to go much further than the 2000, and especially the 5000. Because they have smaller weights, they can get through the gel much faster than the molecules with larger weights.