CARD’s platform facilitates the automated selection of aptamers, performing twelve selection cycles without manual interference. We developed a selection protocol that facilitates the identification of RNA aptamers binding to protein targets. This protocol enables the identification of enriched libraries within a short timeframe. Figure 1 represent the individual steps of one selection cycle: i) the incubation of RNA libraries with the protein target , ii) separation of bound from unbound nucleic acids, iii) recovery of bound nucleic acids, iv) RT-PCR amplification, and v) in vitro transcription. However, protocols for covering other targets, e.g. cells or small molecules will be implemented and available soon.
Figure 1: Flowchart highlighting the consecutive modules of one selection cycle for the identification of RNA aptamers.