As seen on many crime shows and at real crime scenes, it is necessary to be able to identify DNA. Most of the time, this is done using a technique known as gel electrophoresis. Gel electrophoresis is a method used to separate the macromolecules that make up nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, as well as proteins. Gel electrophoresis is important because it has given scientists insight into the cells that cause certain diseases and led to advances in DNA and fingerprint identification. My experiment will use gel electrophoresis to compare samples of natural and synthetic food colors. The background to this experiment covers the following topics: inventors, actual uses, necessary components, separation, and food coloring information. Electrophoresis was first developed in the 1930s by Tiselius. Since then, it has developed and new techniques have been developed. The gel electrophoresis system was developed in the 1950s by Oliver Smithies (Oliver Smithies: Born Inventor). Smithies has created a new technique using starch and staining in a gel to enable better protein resolution. This technique was revolutionary because it was relatively inexpensive and easy to use. This provided great clarity of the samples. Smithies has won numerous awards for his work, including the Nobel Prize, and his technique is used daily by modern molecular scientists (Oliver Smithies - Biographical). Gel electrophoresis is used in various contexts, notably in molecular biology. In addition to being used to separate nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, gel electrophoresis is also used to divide proteins (gel electrophoresis). According to research, electrophoresis is applied for the following reasons: "To obtain a genetic fingerprint for forensic purposes...... middle of a leaf...... what are macromolecules?" November 14, 2013. December 12, 2013. http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/?title=Under_Construction/Schaller/Part_I:__Structure_in_Organic,_Biological_%26_Inorganic_Chemistry/MM.__Macromolecules_and_Supramolecular_Assemblies/MM1._What_are_macromolecules%3FSlutz, Ph. Sandra. “Forensic Science: Create Your Own Tool to Identify DNA.” September 5, 2013. December 2, 2013. http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/BioChem_p028.shtml#summarySmithies, Oliver. “Oliver Smithies – Biographical.” 2007. December 16, 2013. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2007/smithies-bio.htmlAuthor unknown. “Monosaccharides”. December 14, 2013. http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Monosaccharide.html Williams, Ruth. "Oliver Smithies: Born Inventor." Traffic Research.108.6 (2011).