The thiol-reactive biotin iodoacetamide reagent can be used to covalently attach biotin to thiol-containing proteins or thiolated nucleic acids.  The addition of a biotin residue enables the detection with avidin or streptavidin conjugates.  Electrophoretically separated thiol-containing proteins treated with biotin iodoacetamide have been detected in Western blots using an avidin–alkaline phosphatase conjugate.