Bioer GeneQ Thermal Cycler, Manual, Page: 7 / 33

Gene Q Thermal Cycler Chapter 1 Introduction
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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter briefly introduces PCR technique and its applications, PCR thermal cyclers, and the
characteristics of our Gene Q Thermal Cycler.
1 PCR Technique
PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), or cell-free molecule cloning, is a technique for amplifying
nucleic acids in vitro, emulating natural DNA replication process. The PCR technique, using two
DNA strands to be amplified as template, and a pair of synthetic oligonucleotides as primers, rapidly
reproduces the specific DNA pieces under the catalysis of a thermostable DNA polymerase.
Because of its simplicity, rapidity, specificity, and sensitivity, PCR has been widely applied to all
fields of life sciences since its invention by Mullis in 1983 and the discovery of the thermostable
DNA polymerase by Erlich in 1989. Great achievements have been obtained in PCR’s applications
in such areas as cytology, virology, oncology, genetics, forensics, and immunology. PCR technology
is a milestone in the history of modern molecular biology.
2 PCR Applications
Research Areas Gene cloning, DNA sequencing, mutation analysis, gene recombination
and mutagenesis, identification and adjustment of DNA sequence of
protein structure, detection of gene extension, construction of synthetic
genes, construction of cloning and expression carrier, detection of
polymorphism of a gene’s inscribed enzyme;
Clinical Diagnoses Bacteria(spirochaeta, rickettsia, diphtheria bacillus, colon bacillus,
dysentery bacillus, and clostridium); Virus(HTLV, HIV, HBV, HCV, HPVS,
EV, CMV, EBV, HSV, measles virus, rotiform virus, B19 virus, and Lhasa
virus);
Parasite(malaria); Human hereditary diseases(Lesh-Nyhan
syndrome, hemophilia,BMD, and DMD);
Immunology HLA locus typing, qualitative analysis of T-cell receptor or antibody
diversification, immune body gene mapping, quantitative analysis of lymph
genes;
Human Genome
Project Identification of DNA markers using discrete repetitive ;
Sequence, construction of a genetic linkage map(detection of DNA,
polymorphism, or semen mapping ); Construction of a physical map,
sequencing, and map expression;
Forensics
Specimen analysis in the venue, and HLA-Dq
α
locus typing;
Oncology Pancreas cancer, rectum cancer, lung cancer, thyroid gland cancer,
melanin cancer, and leukemia;
Social and Colony
Biology Genetic species research, evolution research, animal protection research,
ecology, environmental sciences, and experimental genetics;
Paleontology Specimen analysis in archeology and museum;
Biology Diagnosis of animal hereditary diseases and detection of plant pathogeny.