ABSTRACT
This chapter explores reptilian veterinarians with the basics of molecular-based diagnostics. Detection of nucleic acids using blotting techniques began in the 1970s with the development of the Southern blot. The probes that are used in Southern blot analyses can be either radioactive or enzyme labeled. Several commercial kits and standard protocols are available to prepare probes for Southern blot analysis. The Southern blot is a relatively simple and powerful tool to detect specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences. With the development of the polymerase chain reaction, the value and the meaning of the Southern blot was revised to some extent. The recognized potential of Southern blotting was soon applied to RNA with the development of the northern blot, a technique in which ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequences are transferred to a membrane for detection with probes. Western blot analysis allows the detection of a target protein in a mixture of proteins.
