Assessment of the Quality of mRNA Libraries by Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

Gel electrophoresis has been widely used in separating and purifying macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids that differ in size, shape, charge, and conformations. The gel basically acts as a tube in which the long-chain macromolecules such as RNAs contract and migrate in an extended configuration (1 ). When charged molecules are placed in an electric field, they migrate toward either the positive (anode) or negative (cathode) pole according to their charge; polymers of a small organic molecule such as agarose and polyacrylamide are matrix which serves as a molecular sieve. Because of their negatively charged phosphate backbone, nucleic acid molecules migrate toward the anode.