Advances in Genotyping Detection of Fragmented Nucleic Acids

Single nucleotide variant (SNV) detection is pivotal in various fields, including disease diagnosis, viral screening, genetically modified organism (GMO) identification, and genotyping. However, detecting SNVs presents significant challenges due to the fragmentation of nucleic acids caused by cellular apoptosis, molecular shearing, and physical degradation processes such as heating. Fragmented nucleic acids often exhibit variable lengths and inconsistent breakpoints, complicating the accurate detection of SNVs. This article delves into the underlying causes of nucleic acid fragmentation and synthesizes the strengths and limitations of next-generation sequencing technology, high-resolution melting curves, molecular probes, and CRISPR-based approaches for SNV detection in fragmented nucleic acids. By providing a detailed comparative analysis, it seeks to offer valuable insights for researchers working to overcome the challenges of SNV detection in fragmented samples, ultimately advancing the accurate and efficient detection of single nucleotide variants across diverse applications.