Southern blot probes for the presence of a specific DNA sequence within a DNA sample. DNA samples, before or after DNA restriction endonuclease enzyme digestion, are separated by gel electrophoresis and then transferred to a membrane support by blotting via capillary action or other transfer techniques. The membrane is then exposed to an appropriate labeled probe with a complementary base sequence to the sequence of interest. At MarinBio, Southern blotting is still in use for certain client applications, for example in measuring transgene copy numbers in transgenic mice or in the engineering of gene knockouts in embryonic stem or other cell lines.

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