Micro-Volume Purity Assessment of Nucleic Acids using A260/A280 Ratio and Spectral Scanning

The application note highlights the ability to determine the concentration and purity of analyte in a sample volume as low as 2 μL using spectrophotometry. Additionally, examples of the ability to perform absorption spectral scans on low volume samples are provided. The spectral data can be useful for detection of common residual contaminants from biomolecule isolation methods by comparison to spectra of highly purified sample.

While the usefulness of the A260/A280 ratio for determining the purity of the sample is understood, it is important to recognize the limitations of relying on the A260/A280 ratio as a sole means for validation.