The Hows and Whys of Early Steps in RNA Analysis

When you analyze RNA expression levels using methods such as RT-qPCR or RNA-seq, how much thought do you put into the upstream steps of purification and quantitation? Many researchers take these steps for granted, but in fact, the quality and quantity of the input RNA has a dramatic effect on downstream analysis success. RNA, unlike DNA, is also highly susceptible to degradation by RNases present in sample or introduced during processing, and not surprisingly the use of degraded RNA in an experiment reduces the quality of the final results too.

In this webinar, Dr Steffen will provide an overview of the different methods available for purifying RNA from both fresh and FFPE mammalian samples, protecting it from degradation, and assessing its quality prior to analysis with the goal of increasing the success and quality of your downstream analyses. She will describe the various purification chemistries available such as silica- and cellulose-based systems, different throughput options and the pros and cons of each system. RNA assessment methods for RNA quality, quantity, and purity will be addressed. Finally, she will spend some time discussing RNase contamination and the use of RNase inhibitors to protect RNA during purification, handling and downstream analysis.