A plasmid miniprep is a molecular biology technique used to extract and purify small amounts of plasmid DNA from bacterial cells. Plasmids are circular DNA molecules found in bacteria, and the miniprep process aims to isolate the plasmid DNA for further analysis or use in genetic engineering experiments. The procedure involves lysing the bacterial cells, helping remove impurities, and purifying the plasmid DNA using various techniques depending on the needed purity level. The resulting purified plasmid DNA can then be quantified, characterized, and stored for future use, depending on the specific requirements of the experiment.