Figure 1.

Schematic representation of aptamer binding to its target and key steps of the SELEX method. (a) The aptamer adopts a 3D structure to bind to its target; (b) The SELEX starts with random libraries of ssDNA or RNA sequences and comprises reiterated rounds of binding to the target, partitioning of the target bound sequences from unbound and amplification of the bound sequences. Finally, the enriched library is analyzed by cloning and sequencing or, in the most recent approaches, high-affinity ligands are identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 2 March 2023).