(EN) The invention relates to a method for the electrophoretic separation of particles, especially of macromolecules. The inventive method comprises the following steps: applying the particles to be separated on a substrate-supported membrane so that the particles are mobile across the surface of the substrate-supported membrane, supplying an electrical field in such a manner that electrical fields are formed across the surfaces across which the particles are mobile, temporarily modifying the electrical fields and/or using a substrate-supported membrane with a structured surface, the direction and strength of the electrical field being temporarily modified such and/or the substrate-supported membrane being structured such that a force is acting on the particles that leads to a movement that depends on the length of the particles. The invention further provides a substrate especially for supporting a membrane that consists of an optically transparent material and that is used in the inventive method. The invention is also characterized by a substrate-supported membrane for carrying out the inventive method with an inventive substrate according to any of the claims, and a fluid lipid membrane. The invention provides a micro-channel electrophoresis chamber with at least one channel the bottom of which comprises an inventive substrate and with an electrode system.
