Cell-SELEX technology for aptamer selection

Aptamers can be explained as mono-stranded structures which can be bound with any desired target molecules that can be found in huge combinatorial nucleic acid lists. Aptamers, like antibodies, attach to target molecules with specificity and high affinity. Aspects of aptamers, however, such as their resistance to lowering conditions and heat denaturation, provide additional benefits. It can be an appealing alternative to antibodies in medical applications and molecular biology because they possess a variety of desirable features. Aptamers are discovered using a method called systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment, which involves an iterative selection–amplification process (SELEX). SELEX can be achieved on complete live cells as well as purified target molecules. Cell-SELEX is a unique method which possesses a number of benefits.