PCR - Polymerase Chain Reaction Simplified

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Using PCR, copies of DNA sequences are exponentially amplified to generate thousands to millions of more copies of that particular DNA segment. PCR is now a common and often indispensable technique used in medical laboratory and clinical laboratory research for a broad variety of applications including biomedical research and criminal forensics. PCR was developed by Kary Mullis in 1983 while he was an employee of the Cetus Corporation. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 (along with Michael Smith) for his work in developing the method.

Typically, PCR consists of a series of 20–40 repeated temperature changes, called thermal cycles, with each cycle commonly consisting of two or three discrete temperature steps. The cycling is often preceded by a single temperature step at a very high temperature (90 °C (194 °F), and followed by one hold at the end for final product extension or brief storage. The temperatures used and the length of time they are applied in each cycle depend on a variety of parameters, including the enzyme used for DNA synthesis, the concentration of bivalent ions and dNTPs in the reaction, and the melting temperature (Tm) of the primers.