Why does DNA bind to glass?
I was just doing a gene clean and got to wondering…why does DNA bind to glass? Most of the resins on the commercially available DNA purification preps are maid of glass…and there’s “glass milk”. So what property of glass makes DNA bind to it? Is glass positively charged or something?
FallingMoon
on November 30th, -0001
Check out this reference:
Record et al. (1998). Adv Protein Chem 51 ,281-353. “Analysis of effects of salts and uncharged solutes on protein and nucleic acid equilibria and processes: a practical guide to recognizing and interpreting polyelectrolyte effects, Hofmeister effects, and osmotic effects of salts”
This should provide a good starting point.
Chips
on November 30th, -0001
why, are you thinking about murdering someone?
BloodFlower
on November 30th, -0001
It’s probably do to electroionic attraction, with DNA carrying a negative ionic charge attracted to Silicon with a net positive ionic charge, or, perhaps some positive ionic charged substance coating the glass.