PNNL

Abstract

A novel strategy has been developed for the analysis, separation and retrieval of oligonucleotides based upon the soft-landing of ions and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass spectrometry. Stored waveform inverse Fourier transform was used to isolate selected DNA segments from a mixture prior to collection on a membrane surface. The soft-landing DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analyzed by conventional gel electrophoresis. FTICR was also used to confirm the identity of the PCR products. This methodology allows the study of modified or damaged DNA as well as sequence variants present al low relative abundances, and is of particular value where characterization is impractical using conventional protocols.