PCR Reagents

PCR Reagents
As PCR (polymerase chain reaction) continues to expand to new areas, improvements in PCR reagents have followed suit. Choices include several types of Taq polymerase, dNTPs, buffers, kits, and Master Mixes, which are premixed, ready-to-use solutions. The application span of PCR is enormous, encompassing numerous biomedical areas, forensics, gene therapy, food/beverage, and environmental testing, to name a few. Whether the technique involved is routine PCR requiring yes/no sequence detection, RT-PCR, hot start PCR, Q-PCR, long PCR, or site-directed mutagenesis, users are looking for reagent consistency, speed of amplification, precise DNA copying, and specificity to the target DNA sequence. Inhibitor-resistant reagents and buffers can help reduce the number of sample prep steps, and reagents providing higher fidelity of amplification are of particular importance when making libraries for next-generation sequencing.

Recommended Reading:

  • Setting PCR Up for Success

    Setting PCR Up for Success

    With the advent of thermocyclers and the accessibility of PCR reagents, running PCR in the lab has become relatively simple. However, there is always room for improvement. This editorial reviews various types of PCR polymerases and unique features.

  • DNA Polymerase with High Fidelity

    Phusion High-Fidelity DNA Polymerase was purchased to use in PCR in order to get 2kb DNA product with high fidelity. The results demonstrated utilizing the correct annealing time consistently yielded the target 2 kb product with high fidelity and a... read more

  • Taq Polymerase Based PCR Master Mix

    I routinely use CRISPR/Cas9-based methods to generate gene knockouts in cell lines. Following CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing with a dual-guide approach, I derive single-cell clonal lines and identify edited clones by PCR using Promega's GoTaq PCR ... read more