Application

Used for the denaturation of proteins and as a mild solubilization agent for insoluble or denatured proteins. Useful for renaturing proteins from samples already denatured with 6 M guanidine chloride such as inclusion bodies. May be used with guanidine hydrochloride and dithiothreitrol (DTT) in the refolding of denatured proteins into their native or active form.

Urea has been used in the following studies:Synthesis of SnO₂ nanoparticles. Synthesis of urethanes, ureides and semicarbazides.Denaturation of protein isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y15696 strain.Protein electrophoretic studies.

General description

Urea is a colorless, odorless solid. It has prism-like crystals. It forms insoluble nitrate salts with nitric acid and oxalate salts with oxalic acid. On reaction with alkanes or substituted alkanes, it affords crystal-lattice inclusion compounds.

Urea is the most commonly used slow release nitrogen fertilizer.