Send to printer »  Tutorials : Nov 1, 2005 (Vol. 25, No. 19)
Purification for Demanding Applications in Life Sciences
Nucleic Acid Sample Preparation Using the ChargeSwitch
Technology  Since the invention of PCR in 1983, molecular
biology has accelerated biomedical research efforts and enabled
major scientific breakthroughs at an unprecedented rate. PCR-
related methods have subsequently become diversified from their
original conception as simple amplification tools of DNA
fragments to quantitative PCR (qPCR) of both DNA and RNA.
Simultaneously, nucleic acid purification techniques have also
impacted the molecular biology revolution. Without methods that
enable the purification of DNA and RNA, fundamental molecular
biology methods including cloning, gene expression analysis, and
DNA sequencing would not be possible. A new technology is now
simplifying nucleic acid purification and allowing for ever more
sophisticated molecular biology applications.  During the 1980s,
salting out and organic solvent-based ap