IR Spectral Signatures Of GC, AU, And GU Base Pairing In H2O-Based Buffer By Microfluidic Modulation Spectroscopy

RNA's diverse functional conformations stem from intricate interactions, including Watson-Crick and non-Watson-Crick base pairing, stacking interactions, and solvent effects. While conventional biophysical techniques like UV melting curves and circular dichroism provide valuable insights, they often fall short in resolving specific base pair types or populations. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy offers detailed structural information but faces limitations in sample concentration, size, throughput, and accessibility.

This application note introduces a sophisticated spectroscopy technique that bypasses these challenges, providing a label-free, plate-based method for directly probing RNA base pairing in various aqueous buffer conditions. This approach utilizes advanced water subtraction capabilities, enabling accurate measurement of RNA bases and their interactions in the historically challenging Amide I infrared region.

Read on to learn more about the unique IR spectral signatures of GC, AU, and GU base pairs and the potential of this technology for high-precision RNA structural characterization.