Abstract: We demonstrate that hydroxyethyl cellulose, sucrose and boric acid can formnongel sieving matrix with interpenetrating polymer networks (INPs).This kind of INPs mixednon-gel sieving matrix can greatly improve DNAseparation efficiency.While all elevenfragments of φX174/Hae Ⅲ DNAcan not be completely separated with a sieving matrix of 0.8%hydroxyethyl cellulose in 1×TBE buffer, they are successfully separated by a non-gelsieving matrix of 0.8% hydroxyethyl cellulose, 10% sucrose in 1×TBEbuffer.The reactionmechnism to form the INPs has been proposed.The length of a PCRmagnified DNAfragment from sex-related gene in rice-field cells is also determined, which is in good agreementwith slab gel electrophoresis.

Key words: Non-gel sieving capillary electrophoresis, DNA fragment, Laser-induced fluorescence, Charge-coupled device, PCR amplified product