Why do we use ammonium sulphate for protein precipitation?
Answers
Answer:
Proteins are usually stored in ammonium sulfate because it inhibits bacterial growth. ... As the salt concentration is further increased, the solubility of the protein begins to decrease. At a sufficiently high ionic strength, the protein will precipitate out of the solution, an effect termed "salting out".
Answer:
Explanation:
Use a mortar and pestle to break up clumps and otherwise grind up the ammonium sulfate to facilitate addition and dissolution.
Add only a small amount of ammonium sulfate at a time, wait for it to dissolve and gently stir to avoid foaming.
Use a buffer such as 50 mM HEPES or Tris to minimize the acidifying nature of ammonium sulfate.
Use analytical grade ammonium sulfate since lower grades typically exhibit heavy metal contamination.