Chromatin Immunoprecipitation

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a laboratory technique used to study how proteins interact with DNA in cells. It helps researchers understand how specific proteins, like transcription factors, bind to regions of DNA to regulate gene expression. In ChIP, chromatin (the complex of DNA and proteins) is first fragmented and then mixed with antibodies that specifically target the protein of interest. This allows for the isolation of the DNA segments bound by that protein. The resulting DNA can then be analyzed to see where the protein binds and how it influences cellular functions.