- RiboGreen
RiboGreen is a proprietary
fluorescent dye that is used in the detection and quantitation of nucleic acids, including bothRNA andDNA . It is synthesized and marketed byAmbion (a division ofApplied Biosystems ) of Eugene,Oregon ,United States . In its free form, RiboGreen exhibits little fluorescence and possesses a negligible absorbance signature. When bound to nucleic acids, the dye fluoresces with an intensity that, according to the manufacturer, is several orders of magnitude greater than the unbound form. The fluorescence can be detected by a sensor and the nucleic acid can be quantified. The presence of protein contaminants in the sample of nucleic acids to be tested does not make significant contributions to the absorbance, and thus allows for the addition ofdeoxyribonuclease s to the protocol in order to degrade DNA, in the instances where one is only interested in detecting or quantifying RNA.References
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