Course Modules

Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA

Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA
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Nucleic Acids: DNA and RNA 10186  
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    Genetic materials are the information that is transmitted from one generation to the next. These genetic materials reside in chromosomes, which control phenotypic traits. Early biochemical experiments proved that nucleic acid in chromosomes is the chemical component that makes up genes. Nucleic acids are small biomolecules that, when combined in various arrangements, make up DNA (deoxyribonucleic acids), and are common to all life forms. Once the importance of DNA in genetic processes was revealed, intensive work began to understand its structure and function. Nucleic acids can exhibit four crucial characteristics, including replication, storage of information, expression of information, and variation by mutation. In this chapter, we describe the evidence proving that DNA is the genetic material responsible for sustaining life, and we also discuss the structure and physical properties of DNA and RNA.
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    Molecular Biology and Biotechnology 5th Edition ( PDFDrive ).pdf Molecular Biology and Biotechnology 5th Edition ( PDFDrive ).pdf
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    Nucleic acids - DNA and RNA structure Nucleic acids - DNA and RNA structure
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    nucleic ACIDS.pptx nucleic ACIDS.pptx
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Chapter 2 - Nucleic Acid-Based Cellular Activities

Chapter 2 - Nucleic Acid-Based Cellular Activities
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Chapter 2 - Nucleic Acid-Based Cellular Activities 10187  
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    Commonly, the flow of genetic information in a cell can be demonstrated by the example of a bacterium in which only a single circular chromosome is present; the genetic information contained therein can be used within that cell and also passed between cells. Many cellular activities, including DNA replication, recombination, and gene expression, are nucleic acid-based activities. Before cells divide, for example, they must make a complete and faithful copy of the DNA in their chromosomes. This process of copying DNA is called replication. During replication, each strand of DNA double helices is copied to make a new strand, thus producing two new daughter DNA double helices. Thus, DNA replication demonstrates the flow of genetic information that can be passed from one generation to the next. During DNA replication, some errors may be introduced; therefore, DNA repair exists to ensure the fidelity of genetic information which is to be passed to the next generation. One mechanism of DNA damage repair relies on recombination, which makes it possible to transfer the genetic information between cells of the same generation. This is because it involves the direct exchange of genetic material through the double-strand DNA breaks. Gene expression is used within a cell to produce the proteins needed for the cell to function. We will discuss DNA replication, DNA repair, and recombination.
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Chapter 3 - Gene Expression: Transcription of the Genetic Code

Chapter 3 - Gene Expression: Transcription of the Genetic Code
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Chapter 3 - Gene Expression: Transcription of the Genetic Code 10188  
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    The central dogma of molecular biology is that DNA makes RNA, and RNA makes proteins. This process is called gene expression, and the genetic information is used within a cell to produce the proteins needed for the cell to function. The process of making RNA from DNA is transcription, a process of RNA biosynthesis. It is the first step in gene expression, and it is a vital control point in the expression of genes and production of proteins. In this process, one of the strands of the double-stranded DNA molecule (a template strand) is transcribed into a complementary sequence of RNA. The RNA sequence differs from DNA in three respects: (1) the DNA base thymine (T) is replaced by the RNA base uracil (U); (2) the sugar ring of RNA has a hydroxyl group in the 2′-position, whereas the sugar ring of DNA has a hydrogen group in the 2′-position; and (3) DNA exists as double helix, whereas RNA is single stranded. In this chapter, we discuss the mechanism of transcription in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Different types of RNA are also discussed in this chapter.
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Chapter 4 - Gene Expression: Translation of the Genetic Code

Chapter 4 - Gene Expression: Translation of the Genetic Code
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Chapter 4 - Gene Expression: Translation of the Genetic Code 10189  
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    The second stage of gene expression is translation, in which the mRNAs serve as the template for making the critical cellular molecules: proteins. This process is also known as protein synthesis. The ability of all living organisms to efficiently and accurately translate genomic information into functional proteins is a remarkable process resulting from billions of years of evolution. Protein synthesis is a complex process requiring ribosomal RNA, messenger RNA, transfer RNA, and a number of regulatory proteins. Like DNA and RNA, proteins are polymers—long, chain-like molecules. The monomers in the protein chain are called amino acids. The informational relationship between DNA and protein is determined by the genetic code, which is a three-nucleotide code. Each genetic code determines an amino acid and thus, the protein. In this chapter, we introduce the amino acids and protein structures. The mechanism of translation and posttranslational modifications are also discussed in this chapter.
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Chapter 5 - The Genome

Chapter 5 - The Genome
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Chapter 5 - The Genome 10190  
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    The most important function of genetic materials is to carry genes—the functional units of heredity. The genetic information specifies all the RNA and protein molecules, and directs when, in what types of cells, and in what quantity each protein is to be made. In eukaryotes, the genes in the nucleus are distributed between a set of different chromosomes which makes up the genome. Therefore, the genome is the complete set of genes of an organism. Ultimately, it is defined by the complete DNA sequence. For example, the human genome, which contains 3.3 × 109 nucleotides, is distributed over 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each chromosome consists of a single, enormously long, linear DNA molecule associated with histone proteins that fold and pack the fine DNA thread into a more compact structure known as chromatin. In this chapter, we discuss the DNA packaging pattern inside cells, the chromosome structure, genome features, and genome evolution and its mechanism.
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    GENOME.ppt GENOME.ppt
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Chapter 6 - Extraction and Purification of Nucleic Acids and Proteins

Chapter 6 - Extraction and Purification of Nucleic Acids and Proteins
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Chapter 6 - Extraction and Purification of Nucleic Acids and Proteins 10191  
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    The extraction of nucleic acids and proteins is the most crucial method used in molecular diagnosis. This is because they are the key components for current high-throughput genomic and proteomic research. Nucleic acids and protein can be isolated from any biological material such as living or conserved tissues, cells, virus particles, or other samples for analytical or preparative purposes. In general, a successful nucleic acid purification requires four important steps: effective disruption of cells or tissue, denaturation of nucleoprotein complexes, inactivation of nucleases, and removal of contamination. The target nucleic acid should be free of contaminants including protein, carbohydrate, lipids, or other nucleic acids. On the other hand, the main concern in protein preparation is prevention of protein degradation. The quality and integrity of the isolated nucleic acid or protein will directly affect the results of all succeeding diagnosis. After collection of samples, whether the sources are from clinical samples, microorganisms, or soil, cell extracts are the first step for nucleic acid or protein preparation. Based on cost-effectiveness, time-efficiency, and technical instruments, the best-suited methods should be chosen based on their purpose. Here, we discuss the preparation methods for nucleic acids and protein.
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Chapter 7 - Detection and Analysis of Nucleic Acids

Chapter 7 - Detection and Analysis of Nucleic Acids
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Chapter 7 - Detection and Analysis of Nucleic Acids 10192  
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    In addition to effective nucleic acid extraction procedures, the accurate determination of concentration is extremely important to the modern molecular diagnosis. Downstream applications often have a specific target or window of nucleic acid concentration that is required in order to perform optimally. While most automated extraction systems ensure that DNA purification is optimized for most protocols, there is variability in systems, specimen types, and microbes. Sometimes, it is essential to know the exact concentration of a nucleic acid sample. Knowing the accurate concentration can help to prevent unnecessary consumption, enhance reproducibility, enhance amplification of difficult targets, and standardize downstream protocols, such as sequencing. Inaccurate quantification can increase variability in downstream assays, which leads to reduced confidence in results. Here, we also discuss commonly used techniques to separate nucleic molecules. Furthermore, the principle of gel electrophoresis as well as the applications of different electrophoresis techniques are discussed in this chapter.
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    Detection of Nucleic Acid.pptx Detection of Nucleic Acid.pptx
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Chapter 8 - Quantification and Analysis of Proteins

Chapter 8 - Quantification and Analysis of Proteins
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Chapter 8 - Quantification and Analysis of Proteins 10193  
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    The measurement of protein concentration in an aqueous sample is often a key step and is common to many applications in routine clinical laboratory practice. Before performing any type of proteomic analysis, particularly comparative techniques, it is important to accurately quantitate the amount of protein in the sample. Spectrophotometric protein quantitation assays use UV or visible spectroscopy to rapidly determine the concentration of protein, relative to a standard, or using an assigned extinction coefficient. Methods are also described to provide information on how to analyze protein concentration using dye-binding colorimetric methods. Since cells contain thousands of different proteins, it is essential to purify target proteins for proteomic analysis. A variety of protein purification techniques are discussed. Furthermore, the analytical techniques have also been developed for better analysis of proteins. Here, we discuss various techniques for molecular separation, including chromatography, electrophoresis, and mass spectrometer. The choice of which method to use is influenced by the amount of protein available, the detection limit of the method, the ease of use, the time required to complete the method, and whether one can afford to lose some protein for the measurement and analysis.
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    Western blot.pptx Western blot.pptx
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Chapter 9 - Amplification of Nucleic Acids

Chapter 9 - Amplification of Nucleic Acids
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Chapter 9 - Amplification of Nucleic Acids 10195  
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    Nucleic acid amplification is a standard procedure for detecting and sequencing a small amount of DNA and RNA in molecular diagnostics. One of the most widely used amplification methods is polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is a target amplification method. This method relied on the polymerase activity to repeatedly amplify objects including nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), cytosolic DNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and a series of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). PCR is widely used for nucleic acid amplification for detection and identification in current molecular diagnostic laboratory. This is because the technique can be employed to evaluate not only the degree of gene expression in molecular biology and clinical research but also the potent biomarker to predict the progression of diseases for early diagnosis. Furthermore, the combination of immunoprecipitation and PCR has become a very powerful technique in personalized medicine. In this chapter, we discuss the basic principles of the PCR technique, its variants, and its application in molecular diagnosis.
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Chapter 10 - Characterization of Nucleic Acids and Proteins

Chapter 10 - Characterization of Nucleic Acids and Proteins
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Chapter 10 - Characterization of Nucleic Acids and Proteins 10194  
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    Once pure samples of nucleic acids have been prepared, manipulative enzymes can be used to process DNA or RNA for further diagnostic analysis. Commonly used nucleic acid manipulative enzymes can be grouped into four broad groups, depending on the type of reaction that they catalyze. (1) Nucleases are enzymes that cut, shorten, or degrade nucleic acid molecules. (2) Ligases join nucleic acid molecules together. (3) Polymerases make copies of molecules. (4) Modifying enzymes remove or add chemical groups. As such, nucleic acid manipulative enzymes play important role in nucleic acids analysis. Furthermore, the ability of one single-stranded nucleic acid to form a double helix with another single-stranded nucleic acid through complementary base sequence is known as hybridization. This is the backbone of the current diagnostic molecular techniques. On the other hand, identifying and measuring specific proteins in complex biological mixtures (such as blood) through antibody binding have also been important in diagnostic practice. To identify nucleic acids and proteins, blotting methods have been developed. These techniques are fairly simple and usually consist of four separate steps: separation by electrophoresis, transfer, hybridization, and visualization. Three main blotting techniques have been developed for DNA, RNA, and protein analysis, and are called Southern, Northern, and Western blotting, respectively. These blotting techniques (as well as array-based hybridization techniques) are commonly used for clinical analysis. Because combination of the above applications has spawned powerful diagnostic techniques, we discuss details of the aforementioned techniques in this chapter.
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Chapter 11 - Techniques in Sequencing

Chapter 11 - Techniques in Sequencing
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Chapter 11 - Techniques in Sequencing 10196  
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    Determination of the nucleotide composition and order in a gene or genome is a fundamental technology in current molecular diagnostics. Cloned or PCR-amplified DNA fragments and entire genomes must be routinely sequenced. DNA sequencing can reveal the information of genes, and it can also reveal mutations and the genes' relatedness. The first DAN sequencing method developed was chain termination sequencing which uses the dideoxynucleotide procedure. It is commonly used to sequence DNA fragments containing one to a few genes as well as entire genomes from many different organisms. However, interest in sequencing large numbers of DNA molecules in less time and at a lower cost has driven the recent development of new sequencing technologies that can process thousands to millions of sequences concurrently. Many second-generation and third-generation sequencing techniques have been developed, including pyrosequencing, massively parallel sequencing, sequencing using reversible chain terminators, and sequencing by ligation. The development of these high throughput methods has dramatically improved the accuracy and speed of clinical diagnosis. The principles and applications of these techniques are discussed in this chapter.
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Chapter 12 - Genome and Transcriptome Analysis

Chapter 12 - Genome and Transcriptome Analysis
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Chapter 12 - Genome and Transcriptome Analysis 10197  
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    Whole genome sequencing allows the determination of the entire DNA sequence of an individual, and the resulting genomic information is believed to enable prediction of disease risk and optimization of treatment outcome. In practice, predicting disease phenotypes from genetic sequences is extremely challenging because the genotype-phenotype relationship is far more complex than anticipated. A single gene can be associated with multiple disease phenotypes, while a single disease phenotype can be caused by mutations in multiple genes. Importantly, mutations do not have identical effects on all subjects because of individual variation in interaction between genes, proteins, metabolites, and environmental factors. Here, we discuss the application and importance of genome wide association studies in identifying all molecular components involved in cellular functions. With the rapid development of NGS technologies, it is now possible to readily profile a great number of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), epigenomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes. As such, the combination of these technologies can identify biomarkers that allow for estimation of individuals’ risk for developing specific diseases, and therefore are statistically associated with complex disease phenotypes. We also provide an overview of bioinformatics and network modeling approaches that can be used to develop information for individualized medicine and thus, address subject-specific differences with respect to diagnosis and treatment.
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    Transcriptome.pptx Transcriptome.pptx
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Chapter 13 - Molecular Diagnosis of Chromosomal Disorders

Chapter 13 - Molecular Diagnosis of Chromosomal Disorders
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Chapter 13 - Molecular Diagnosis of Chromosomal Disorders 10198  
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    The DNA of an organism, with its arrays of genes, is organized into structures known as chromosomes which serve as carriers for transmitting genetic information. Cytogenetics means studying the number, structure, and function of chromosomes, the origin of chromosomal abnormalities, and the evolution of chromosomes. In this chapter, we discuss current cytogenetic techniques including the development of fluorescent techniques, which has led to the development of fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH), a technology linking cytogenetics to molecular genetics. FISH has a wide range of applications that increase the dimension of chromosome analysis, and it is particularly important for medical diagnostics. Furthermore, we discuss how the application of molecular techniques in cytogenetics, such as array-based technologies, has led to improved resolution, extending the recognized range of microdeletion/microduplication syndromes and genomic disorders. Furthermore, the association between visible chromosome rearrangements and defects at the single nucleotide level is also discussed. Overall, molecular cytogenetic techniques offer a remarkable number of potential applications, particularly in clinical studies and biomedical diagnosis, making them a powerful and informative complement to other molecular and genomic approaches.
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    Chromosomal Disorder.pptx Chromosomal Disorder.pptx
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Chapter 14 - Molecular Diagnosis of Mutation and Inherited Diseases

Chapter 14 - Molecular Diagnosis of Mutation and Inherited Diseases
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Chapter 14 - Molecular Diagnosis of Mutation and Inherited Diseases 10200  
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    Molecular diagnostics aims to detect biological molecules (biomarkers) associated with infectious or genetic disease in patient samples. Biomarkers can be specific proteins, DNA or RNA sequences, or metabolites that are present (or present at altered levels) in body fluid or tissue samples of affected individuals compared to healthy individuals. Therefore, the purpose of a diagnostic test is to identify a disease, confirm that disease's cause, and possibly predict the likelihood of developing a disease, or to monitor the progress of a disease. As one type of biomarker, DNA-based diagnostic tests determine the existence of specific nucleotide sequences, including genetic mutations (notably inherited diseases, discussed in this chapter) and sequences present in human pathogens (notably infectious diseases, discussed in the next chapter). These tests have been improved dramatically in recent years, and now they are highly sensitive and specific and can detect single nucleotide mutations or copy number variation. Because these DNA-based approaches can diagnose the disease at the genetic level, they are now widely used in personalized medicine to detect and determine the cause of an illness and to predict whether individuals or their family are predisposed to the diseases. A DNA-based test requires neither the expression of a gene nor a blood sample, but it requires a good skill to prepare and preserve DNA for downstream analysis. In this chapter, we discuss DNA-based analysis that has been developed for the identification of asymptomatic carriers of hereditary disorders, including single-gene disorders, polygenic disorders, and mitochondrial disorders.
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Chapter 15 - Molecular Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases

Chapter 15 - Molecular Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases
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Chapter 15 - Molecular Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases 10205  
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    Infectious disease is mostly caused by human pathogens and is the leading cause of death worldwide. In human infectious disease, pathogens are normally found in complex communities. To further distinguish and identify the specific microorganisms, it is important to choose the right DNA-based diagnostic technique. The diagnosis of polymicrobial and fungal infections is increasingly challenging in the clinical setting. Traditionally, diagnosis of bacterial or fungal infections relied solely on culture-based techniques, and cultures have been considered the gold standard of pathogen detection. However, some organisms may not be easily detectable by conventional culture methods used in most laboratories because of many factors, including growth environment, morphological, and biochemical characters. These factors make accurate diagnosis and treatment of infections a challenge. Here, we discuss the development of molecular detection for species identification in clinical samples, especially the improvement of those nucleic acid-based techniques. Furthermore, we also introduce the application of MALDI-TOF MS in identifying the microorganisms.Together, these techniques have significantly improved the accuracy and efficiency for identifying microorganisms.
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    Molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases.pptx Molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases.pptx
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Chapter 16 - Guidance for Molecular Clinical Laboratory

Chapter 16 - Guidance for Molecular Clinical Laboratory
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Chapter 16 - Guidance for Molecular Clinical Laboratory 10206  
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    Many molecular techniques have been developed in the diagnostic field, including nucleic acid-based diagnostics, microarray panels, FISH technologies, magnetic resonance-based testing, MALDI-TOF MS, and NGS. The scope of these molecular technologies ranges from single-target pathogen-specific to syndromic panels containing many common pathogens causing a disease process, to unbiased sequencing with the ability to detect unsuspected or novel pathogens. Therefore, molecular diagnosis is becoming an essential part of the clinical tests for many hospitals. It is inevitable that most hospitals with an active clinical practice require access to laboratories that provide the necessary information on the biomarkers (including nucleic acids and proteins) of a material. As molecular testing is becoming an important part of the diagnosis, the challenge for laboratories is to meet the need by using reliable methods and processes to ensure that patients receive a timely and accurate report on which their treatment will be based. A standard guideline is thus necessary to standardize and regulate the practice. Here we aim to introduce concepts for handling samples and performing tests properly in molecular diagnosis. Furthermore, we also discuss standard guideline to implement molecular diagnostic technologies in the clinical setting to optimally affect patient care and treatment.
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LABORATORY

LABORATORY
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LABORATORY 10333  
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    DNA Extraction.pptx DNA Extraction.pptx
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