Step 1: Understanding Northern blotting.
Northern blotting is a laboratory technique used to detect specific RNA molecules among a mixture of RNA. It is typically used to identify mRNA in a sample, allowing the study of gene expression.
Step 2: Analyzing the options.
(1) Western blotting: Incorrect, Western blotting is used to detect proteins, not RNA.
(2) Northern blotting: Correct — Northern blotting is used specifically for detecting RNA, including mRNA.
(3) Southern blotting: Incorrect, Southern blotting is used to detect specific DNA sequences.
(4) Eastern blotting: Incorrect, this is not a commonly used technique in molecular biology.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct technique for identifying mRNA is (2) Northern blotting.