Purification and Detection of Nucleic Acids

In early 1997, headlines around the world reported the successful cloning of a sheep by Scottish scientists, followed at intervals by reports of cloning of other animals. Such striking examples of the power of the techniques for manipulating DNA sparked enormous amounts of discussion. In this chapter, we will focus our attention on some of the most important methods used in biotechnology. 

Experiments on nucleic acids frequently involve extremely small quantities of materials of widely varying molecular size. Two of the primary necessities are to separate the components of a mixture and to detect the presence of nucleic acids. Fortunately, powerful methods exist for accomplishing both goals. 

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