[The DNA-comet method for individual cells. The principle and use of the method]

DNA from cells is required for many biotechnology and research applications, such as molecular cloning. To remove and purify DNA from cells, researchers use various methods of DNA extraction. While the specifics of different protocols may vary, some general concepts underlie the process of DNA extraction.

DNA isolation protocols can be fast and straightforward or complex and time-consuming depending on the type and quality of DNA required for further processing. For example, plasmid DNA extraction is a bit more complicated than genomic DNA extraction because of the need for an appropriate lysis method to separate plasmid DNA from gDNA during isolation. However, for specific applications, such as long-range DNA sequencing that require a good yield of high- quality DNA samples, we need to follow...

Only genes that are transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) are active, or expressed. Scientists can, therefore, extract the mRNA from cells to study gene expression in different cells and tissues. The scientist converts mRNA into complementary DNA (cDNA) via reverse transcription. Because mRNA does not contain introns (non-coding regions) and other regulatory sequences, cDNA—unlike genomic DNA—also allows researchers to directly determine the amino acid sequence of the peptide encoded by the...