DNA purification is a typical and vital procedure in molecular biology. The purpose of DNA purification is the separation of the desired genetic material from the contaminant (proteins, RNA and cell membrane). This is a crucial procedure in almost every molecular application and must be executed correctly to get high-quality, usable DNA.
There are many different approaches for DNA purification. The choice is based on a myriad of factors such as the starting materials and downstream applications, cost, and time constraints. Typical DNA purification procedures include chemical treatment, enzymatic digestion, or mechanical destruction of cell samples or tissue followed by salting-out of the proteins and precipitation of the DNA using ethanol.
Ethanol precipitation is a cost-effective simple and quick method of desalting and concentrating DNA. DNA molecules are aggregated in the presence monovalent cations such as sodium, and then are removed from solution using high concentrations ethanol. This technique allows the removal of organic click for source compounds, and other impurities from the sample and is frequently used in conjunction with other purification techniques.
Another method that is popular for DNA purification is anion exchange chromatography. The interaction between negatively charged DNA phosphate backbones and the positively charged surface molecules of resins is what binds DNA in a solvent to positively charged resins. During the binding process, contaminants are removed by making use of a strict washing process. The DNA that has been purified is eluted using low-salt conditions.