{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,27]],"date-time":"2026-02-27T19:15:25Z","timestamp":1772219725882,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,27]],"date-time":"2026-02-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772150400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    This study investigates the unexpected utility of borax-based agarose gel electrophoresis for RNA integrity assessment. Accurate RNA integrity analysis fundamentally requires denaturation to fully resolve RNA molecules from their complex secondary structures and prevent aggregation, a principle typically achieved with hazardous chemicals like formaldehyde. Through multiple independent experiments, this work demonstrates that borax, beyond its buffering properties, exhibits denaturing-like behavior, effectively separating RNA molecules with resolution comparable to formaldehyde-based methods. This finding is surprising and challenges conventional understanding. To validate the method's versatility, it was successfully applied to total RNA extracted from six diverse microbial species, including Gram-negative bacteria (\n                    <jats:italic>E. coli<\/jats:italic>\n                    ,\n                    <jats:italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa<\/jats:italic>\n                    ), Gram-positive bacteria (\n                    <jats:italic>Staphylococcus aureus<\/jats:italic>\n                    ,\n                    <jats:italic>Enterococcus faecalis<\/jats:italic>\n                    ), and eukaryotic fungi (\n                    <jats:italic>Candida glabrata<\/jats:italic>\n                    ,\n                    <jats:italic>Candida albicans<\/jats:italic>\n                    ). This novel method offers a compelling and safer alternative to traditional formaldehyde-based approaches for RNA analysis in various research and clinical settings. It provides several advantages, including enhanced safety, simplified protocols, and reduced electrophoresis time. By eliminating the need for pre-treatment steps and utilizing borax as both a buffer and an apparent denaturant, this method significantly streamlines RNA analysis. While the precise mechanism underlying this denaturing-like effect requires further elucidation, this study highlights a promising, accessible, and universally applicable tool for robust RNA integrity assessment.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0344092","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,27]],"date-time":"2026-02-27T18:36:55Z","timestamp":1772217415000},"page":"e0344092","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Borax-based gel electrophoresis: A novel approach for RNA integrity 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