Overview of protein extraction

Protein extraction is a critical initial step in biochemistry and molecular biology that encompasses a wide range of techniques and reagents to isolate and purify specific proteins from biological samples. The choice of protein extraction technique and reagent depends largely on the sample type, localization of the protein, desired yield, need of preservation, and downstream application. 

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers a range of protein extraction reagents for cell lysis, organelle isolation, membrane protein extraction, and protease and phosphatase inhibition, each designed to support your diverse experimental needs. By choosing the right protein extraction reagent, you can help ensure high-quality, reproducible results for your experiment and ultimately enable the integrity and yield of your desired protein for downstream applications such as western blot, ELISA, EMSA, reporter assays, mass spectrometry, and IP.

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Protein extraction reagents


Specialized protein extraction reagents

Benefits of highlights of protein extraction reagents

  • Optimized—formulations designed to maximize protein yield and preserve protein activity
  • Efficient—contains minimal cross-contamination between subcellular fractions
  • Gentle—eliminates the need for mechanical cell disruption for most sample types
  • Compatible—extracts can be used directly in most downstream applications

Simple overview of sample type and protein extraction reagent or kit

 Sample typeGoalRecommended protein extraction reagent or kit
single cellPrimary or cultured mammalian cells or tissuesTotal protein extractionRIPA buffer
IP Lysis buffer
M-PER
T-PER
N-PER
cell structureCultured mammalian cells or tissuesSubcellular fractions and organellesNE-PER Nuclear and Cytoplasmic Extraction Reagents
Subcellular Protein Fractionation Kits
Mitochondria Isolation Kits
Lysosome enrichment kit
Syn-PER Synaptic Protein Extraction Reagent
Membrane-bound proteinsG Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCR) Extraction Reagent
Mem-PER Membrane Protein Extraction
Cell Surface Protein Isolation Kit
bacteria cellsBacterial cellsTotal protein extractionB-PER Complete Bacterial Protein Extraction Reagent
yeast cellYeast cellsTotal protein extractionY-PER Yeast Protein Extraction Reagent
insect baculovirusInsect cells (baculovirus)Total protein extractionY-PER Yeast Protein Extraction Reagent
plant leaves and stemPlant tissues (leaf, stem, root, flower)Total protein extractionPlant Total Protein Extraction Kit

Discover protein preparation tools

Related products and downstream applications


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For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.