The ChIP process begins with the crosslinking of proteins to DNA, typically using formaldehyde. The cells are then lysed, and the chromatin is sheared into smaller fragments using either sonication or enzymatic digestion. An antibody specific to the protein of interest is used to immunoprecipitate the protein-DNA complexes. The DNA is then purified and analyzed, often by PCR, qPCR, or next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq).
