Adapterisekvenssien

Adapterisekvenssien, often referred to as adapter sequences, are short, synthetic DNA or RNA molecules that are ligated to the ends of DNA or RNA fragments. These sequences are not naturally present in the original nucleic acid sample and serve a crucial role in various molecular biology techniques, particularly in next-generation sequencing (NGS). The primary purpose of adapter sequences is to facilitate downstream processing and analysis of the nucleic acid fragments.

In the context of sequencing, adapter sequences contain specific elements required for the sequencing platform. These elements can include primer binding sites, which are essential for initiating the amplification and sequencing reactions. They may also contain unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) or barcodes, which are short DNA sequences used to distinguish individual molecules or samples from each other. This is particularly important for multiplexing, where multiple samples are pooled together for sequencing. By assigning unique barcodes to fragments from different sources, researchers can later deconvolute the data and attribute the sequencing reads back to their original sample.

Beyond sequencing, adapter sequences can also be employed in other applications. For instance, they can be used to introduce specific functional elements, such as promoters or reporter genes, into a DNA molecule. They can also facilitate the capture or purification of specific DNA or RNA fragments using complementary sequences immobilized on a solid support, a technique known as affinity purification. The design and composition of adapter sequences are highly dependent on the specific application and the technology being used.