A technique used for searching for a specific DNA fragment. The process is as follows:
- Separate DNA fragments with gel electrophoresis
- change pH of gel to basic, thus allowing disruption of hydrogen bonds
- blot gel with nitrocellulose paper
- heat paper so as to fix DNA fragments
- probe with labeled messenger RNA or cDNA
- wash
- complementary mRNA/cDNA fragments will have hybridized.
From the BioTech Dictionary at http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/. For further information see the BioTech homenode.