Polyethylene Glycol 8000 (PEG 8000) is a polyether polymer, and is an ~8000 Dalton polymer. PEG 8000 is part of a larger family of water-soluble, synthetic polymer compounds. As a 50% stock solution, PEG 8000 is highly useful for diluting to intended working concentrations in a variety of laboratory applications. In biomolecular environments, the polymer creates macromolecular crowding and alters solubility and shape of various biomolecules. This allows precipitation of nucleic acids, concentration of viral particles for centrifugation, and protein crystallization work.