What is Western blot?

Western blotting (also called immunoblotting) is a widely used analytical technique in molecular biology and immunology to detect specific proteins in a sample of tissue homogenate or extract. It uses gel electrophoresis to separate native or denatured proteins by 3-D structure, or by the length of the polypeptide, followed by transfer (blotting) of the separated proteins to a membrane (typically nitrocellulose or PVDF), where they are further probed with antibodies specific to the target protein.