to the essential modification of RNA by the proteins of the spliceosome complex, and the highly-catalytic action of the ribosome in protein synthesis, are established as being fundamental to the function of RNA. Recent research into, for example, the role of RNA as a catalyst, has elucidated many more interactions with proteins that are vital to cell function. This text provides a guide to the experimental procedures used in studying RNA-protein interactions. The approaches covered range from those initially used to detect a novel RNA-protein interaction, various biochemical and genetic approaches to purifying and cloning RNA binding proteins, through to methods for an in-depth analysis of the structural basis of the interaction.

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