What is "percoll"

Percoll is a tool for more efficient density separation in biochemistry that was first formulated by Pertoft et al.. It is used for the isolation of cells, organelles, and/or viruses by density centrifugation. Percoll consists of colloidal silica particles of 15-30 nm diameter (23% w/w in water) which have been coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Percoll is well suited for density gradient experiments because it possesses a low viscosity compared to alternatives, a low osmolarity and no toxicity towards cells and their constituents.

Percoll is a registered trademark of GE Healthcare.