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Oligonucleotide
Oligonucleotides]
are short
DNA
or
RNA
molecules,
oligomers
, that have a wide range of applications in
genetic testing
,
research
, and
forensics
. Commonly made in the laboratory by
solid-phase chemical synthesis
, these small bits of nucleic acids can be manufactured as single-stranded molecules with any user-specified sequence, and so are vital for
artificial gene synthesis
,
polymerase chain reaction
(PCR),
DNA sequencing
,
library construction
and as
molecular probes
. In nature, oligonucleotides are usually found as small RNA molecules that function in the regulation of gene expression (e.g.
microRNA
), or are degradation intermediates derived from the breakdown of larger nucleic acid molecules.
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