MIME: Mutational Interference Mapping Experiment – RNA viruses

MIME (Mutational Interference Mapping Experiment) is used to investigate the interaction of RNA with its respective interaction partners in greater detail. In this approach, the RNA of interest is randomly mutated and amplified. The vast pool of resulting mutated RNAs is then mixed with a possible interaction partner, e.g.  a protein, is added. Next, the RNA molecules are sorted and sequenced according to functionality, i.e. protein-binding in favor of non-binding. This allows analysis of mutational frequencies (and functional consequences thereof) at any position within a particular RNA.

http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v12/n9/full/nmeth.3490.html