Exploring gel-based EME in 96-well format
In collaboration with scientists from Chulalongkorn University, the University of Oslo, and the Czech Academy of Sciences, we have developed the first 96-well gel-based electromembrane extraction (EME) system. By replacing conventional oil membranes with agarose gels, we demonstrate a fundamentally different extraction mechanism, where selectivity is governed by transport through an aqueous gel network rather than partitioning into an organic solvent. The study highlights the potential of gel-EME as a high-throughput, greener, and highly tunable platform for the extraction of polar analytes while providing efficient cleanup of proteins and phospholipids from plasma. At the same time, we identify important limitations, including electroendosmosis, high extraction currents, and reduced capacity for complex biological samples, providing a roadmap for the future development of gel-based extraction technologies...