Western Blot Example
A worked example of a typical western blot experiment and how to interpret the result.
Example setup
A typical experiment might compare a target protein (e.g., a signaling protein or receptor) across treatment groups—for example, control vs. drug-treated cells or different tissues. Each condition is loaded in one or more lanes, with a molecular weight ladder in one lane.
Layout and lanes
Lanes might be arranged as: ladder, control 1, control 2, treated 1, treated 2. The same samples are often run on a second gel (or stripped and reprobed) for a loading control to allow normalization.
What to look for
Check that the band appears at the expected molecular weight, that loading control bands are even across lanes, and that there are no excessive smearing or nonspecific bands. Intensity differences between lanes can then be quantified and statistically tested.
Common pitfalls
Saturation (overexposure) makes quantification unreliable. Uneven loading or transfer can distort comparisons. Content can be enriched with a sample blot image, lane diagram, and step-by-step interpretation.