How can I check for the presence of small RNAs before proceeding to library prep?
Isolated small RNAs in the final fraction (step 33) may not be able to be analyzed by Nanodrop or simple gel staining. Due to the high specificity of TraPR and the lack of by-product contamination (i.e., tRNA, rRNA, and mRNA fragments), the final sRNA fraction may not contain ample RNA to be accurately detected. However, if you know specific small RNAs to be present in your sample, you can detect these small RNAs by radiolabeling or qRT-PCR.