A system for analyzing a sample comprising an unknown analyte using electrophoretic separation, the system comprising: (a) a separation channel comprising a separation medium, (b) a power source for applying a potential across the channel to cause a sample to migrate there along, (c) a detector for measuring signal intensity associated with a sample migrating along the channel as a function of time; and (d) a computing portion comprising a computer-readable medium containing software code embodying executable instructions for: (i) receiving a first set of data comprising a plurality of signal peaks over time corresponding to an electrophoretic separation of a known ladder standard, (ii) allocating respective standardized values, expressed in virtual units, for the peak-migration times, (iii) fitting a polynomial curve to the ladder standard, thereby generating a first polynomial model, (iv) determining an offset from the origin in the first polynomial model, (v) translating the first polynomial model, using the offset, to pass through the origin, thereby generating a translated first polynomial model, (viii) receiving a second set of data comprising one or more peaks over time corresponding to an electrophoretic separation of a mixture comprising (a) one or more respective unknown analytes, (b) an upper bracketing standard, and (c) a lower bracketing standard, (ix) determining a peak for the upper bracketing standard, (x) adjusting the slope and curvature of the translated first polynomial model in equal proportions to the upper bracketing standard, thereby generating an upper bracketing standard model, (xi) determining a peak for the lower bracketing standard using the upper bracketing standard model, (xii) fitting a polynomial curve to (a) the upper bracketing standard, (b) the lower bracketing standard, and (c) the origin, thereby generating a second polynomial model, (xiii) combining the second polynomial model and the offset, thereby generating a final reference model, and (xiv) transforming the second set of data into virtual units using the final reference model. (a) a separation channel comprising a separation medium, (b) a power source for applying a potential across the channel to cause a sample to migrate there along, (c) a detector for measuring signal intensity associated with a sample migrating along the channel as a function of time; and (d) a computing portion comprising a computer-readable medium containing software code embodying executable instructions for: (i) receiving a first set of data comprising a plurality of signal peaks over time corresponding to an electrophoretic separation of a known ladder standard, (ii) allocating respective standardized values, expressed in virtual units, for the peak-migration times, (iii) fitting a polynomial curve to the ladder standard, thereby generating a first polynomial model, (iv) determining an offset from the origin in the first polynomial model, (v) translating the first polynomial model, using the offset, to pass through the origin, thereby generating a translated first polynomial model, (viii) receiving a second set of data comprising one or more peaks over time corresponding to an electrophoretic separation of a mixture comprising (a) one or more respective unknown analytes, (b) an upper bracketing standard, and (c) a lower bracketing standard, (ix) determining a peak for the upper bracketing standard, (x) adjusting the slope and curvature of the translated first polynomial model in equal proportions to the upper bracketing standard, thereby generating an upper bracketing standard model, (xi) determining a peak for the lower bracketing standard using the upper bracketing standard model, (xii) fitting a polynomial curve to (a) the upper bracketing standard, (b) the lower bracketing standard, and (c) the origin, thereby generating a second polynomial model, (xiii) combining the second polynomial model and the offset, thereby generating a final reference model, and (xiv) transforming the second set of data into virtual units using the final reference model. (i) receiving a first set of data comprising a plurality of signal peaks over time corresponding to an electrophoretic separation of a known ladder standard, (ii) allocating respective standardized values, expressed in virtual units, for the peak-migration times, (iii) fitting a polynomial curve to the ladder standard, thereby generating a first polynomial model, (iv) determining an offset from the origin in the first polynomial model, (v) translating the first polynomial model, using the offset, to pass through the origin, thereby generating a translated first polynomial model, (viii) receiving a second set of data comprising one or more peaks over time corresponding to an electrophoretic separation of a mixture comprising (a) one or more respective unknown analytes, (b) an upper bracketing standard, and (c) a lower bracketing standard, (ix) determining a peak for the upper bracketing standard, (x) adjusting the slope and curvature of the translated first polynomial model in equal proportions to the upper bracketing standard, thereby generating an upper bracketing standard model, (xi) determining a peak for the lower bracketing standard using the upper bracketing standard model, (xii) fitting a polynomial curve to (a) the upper bracketing standard, (b) the lower bracketing standard, and (c) the origin, thereby generating a second polynomial model, (xiii) combining the second polynomial model and the offset, thereby generating a final reference model, and (xiv) transforming the second set of data into virtual units using the final reference model.