Two gel filtration chromatographic supports, Superose 6 and Sephacryl S1000 SF, were used to purify supercoiled plasmids using a 4.8 kb plasmid as a model. Both supports purified the plasmid from RNA and other small molecular weight contaminants, as shown by agarose electrophoresis and ion exchange HPLC, with an overall yield of 70%. Sephacryl S1000 SF was the better support as it resolved supercoiled, relaxed, linear and concatamer plasmid forms, and chromosomal DNA.