What is Ida in organic chemistry?

IDA is an acronym used by chemists for iminodiacetic acid. It is made up of four carbon atoms, seven hydrogen atoms, one nitrogen and four oxygen atoms. It is used in organic chemical reactions to modulate the movement of peptides when an electric current is run through a gel medium.

The movement of peptides in response to an electrical current results in them being sorted according to their molecular weight. Adding IDA to the solution prevents certain peptides from separating out. This is important when trying to find specific peptides and discover their properties during lab analysis. IDA is also used as a chelating agent.