DNA purification is one of the most commonly used and crucial processes in molecular science. The aim of DNA purification is to distinguish the desired genetic material from contaminants (proteins, cell membranes and RNA). This is a crucial procedure in almost every molecular process and must be performed well to ensure high quality usable DNA.
There are a variety of various methods for DNA purification, the selection of which depends on several aspects, including the materials used to start and downstream applications and costs and time constraints. The typical genomic and plasmid purification methods include chemical treatment, enzyme digesting or mechanical disruption of tissue/cells and then salting out the proteins and precipitating the DNA with alcohol.
Ethanol precipitation can be described as a simple, cost-effective and fast https://mpsciences.com/2021/02/15/science-supplies-for-students/ method for desalting and concentration of DNA. DNA molecules aggregate in the presence monovalent Cations like sodium and then they are removed out of solution using high levels of ethanol. This method is employed to remove organic compounds, and other impurities. It is commonly employed in conjunction with other purification methods.
Another popular method for DNA purification is anion exchange chromatography. DNA in a solution is bound to positively charged resins by the interaction between the negatively charged DNA phosphate backbone and the positively charged surface molecules of the resin. During the binding and washing steps, contaminating molecules are removed from the DNA via rigorous wash steps, and then the purified DNA is eluted in low salt conditions.