Blotting: A Smart Strategy for Enabling the Detection of Molecules of Interest

Blotting is a classical technique for detecting macro-biomolecules of interest from a mixture of molecules. The technique is generally composed of four steps: 1) gel electrophoresis-based separation of molecules, 2) blotting (transfer and immobilization) of separated molecules from the gel onto the membrane, 3) specific hybridization of probes to target molecules on the membrane, and 4) visualization of the probe/target molecule complex. The present article briefly introduces blotting techniques for readers, since the direction-named techniques are confusing for people beyond the biotechnology field. Particularly, the smartness of the blotting step in a blotting technique is emphasized. Specifically, the blotting step allows for fixation of size-separated molecules on the membrane, and permits subsequent hybridization of the target molecule to labeled probe, collectively allowing target molecules to be detected by imaging. In conclusion, not only is blotting a smart strategy for enabling the detection of molecules of interest but also the concept of blotting plays an important role in biotechnology.