title: Optical methods.
abstract: Equilibrium optical melting curves are used in this unit to determine thermodynamic parameters of nucleic acid complex formation. This section contains all of the relevant equations and a discussion of which are most appropriate to a given situation. Additionally, procedures are given for making preliminary determinations of molar extinction coefficients and for determining the number of oligonucleotides in a complex. The section on extinction coefficients is particularly essential to anyone needing to know solution concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Plum
mesh_terms: D001671:Biochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis; D012015:Reference Standards; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D009841:Oligonucleotides; D010710:Phosphates