Candy Electrophoresis Lab

In this lab we used gel electrophoresis to see the dyes from candy. We did get dyes that were a different color than the reference bands. There weren't green ones in the reference bands. Our dyes did move in the wrong direction but that was only because we plugged in the power supply wrong. I think citrus red 2 would migrate like the dyes in our lab because it's very simple and short. Dog food manufacturers probably put artificial food colors in dog food to make it look more appealing to the owner. While the dog may not care, if the food is a pleasing color, it will catch some pet owners' eyes. The length of the strands and the power affect the distance the dye solutions migrate. The electric field helps move the dyes through the gel. The pores of the gel are what separates the molecules by size. The smaller ones move faster because they can get through easier. I would expect molecular weights of 600 daltons to move the furthest distnace, 1000 daltons in the far middle, 2000 closer middle , and 5000 daltons to not move much.