Western blotting helps scientists separate and identify proteins. They do this by putting a mix of proteins through a process called gel electrophoresis, which separates them based on their size. Then, they transfer these separated proteins onto a membrane, which creates a visible band for each protein.
Back in 1975, a scientist named Edward Southern came up with a technique for studying DNA, which he called "Southern blotting." Then, in 1977, another scientist named Stark figured out a way to study RNA, and he cleverly named it "Northern blotting." Following this trend, Burnette came up with a similar technique for studying proteins and jokingly named it "Western blot." So, these are just playful names scientists gave to their methods for studying different molecules.
More people getting long-term illnesses and the growing need to find specific proteins for medical tests and research are the main reasons the Western blotting market is growing According to the latest BCC Research study the demand for Western Blotting: Global Markets was valued at $1.5 billion in 2023 and will reach $2.1 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% during the forecast period of 2023-2028.