Construction of Plasmodium falciparum cDNA Libraries

cDNA libraries represent the genetic information encoded in the messenger RNA (mRNA) of a particular tissue or organism. Construction of a cDNA library begins with the isolation of purified and full-length RNA. This isolation is made difficult by the fact that RNA molecules are exceptionally liable to ribonucleases that are very stable and active and require no cofactors to function (see Note 1 ). The first step in all RNA isolation protocols, therefore, involves lysing the cells in a chemical environment that results in the denaturation of ribonucleases.