Polymerase chain reaction
PCR amplifies specific DNA sequences rapidly for study.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a laboratory method widely used to amplify copies of specific DNA sequences rapidly, to enable detailed study. PCR was invented in 1983 by American biochemist Kary Mullis at Cetus Corporation. PCR is fundamental to many procedures used in genetic testing, research, analysis of ancient DNA samples, and identification of infectious agents.
- inventor
- Kary Mullis
- year_invented
- 1983
- field
- Biochemistry, Molecular Biology
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Inventing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Lore & Background
PCR was invented in 1983 by American biochemist Kary Mullis at Cetus Corporation. PCR relies on thermal cycling, exposing reagents to repeated cycles of heating and cooling to permit DNA melting and enzyme-driven DNA replication. The method employs two main reagents: primers (short single-strand DNA fragments complementary to the target DNA region) and a thermostable DNA polymerase. Almost all PCR applications use a heat-stable DNA polymerase such as Taq polymerase, originally isolated from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus. Before Taq polymerase, DNA polymerase had to be manually added every cycle, a tedious and costly process.
Reader's Guide
PCR is fundamental to many procedures in genetic testing, research, and forensic science. It enables exponential amplification of very small amounts of DNA sequences through a series of temperature cycles. Applications include DNA cloning for sequencing, gene cloning and manipulation, gene mutagenesis, construction of DNA-based phylogenies, diagnosis and monitoring of genetic disorders, amplification of ancient DNA, analysis of genetic fingerprints for DNA profiling, and detection of pathogens in nucleic acid tests for infectious diseases. The technique requires a DNA template, DNA polymerase (commonly heat-resistant Taq), two DNA primers complementary to the target region, deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs), a buffer solution, and bivalent cations like magnesium or manganese. PCR is now a common and often indispensable technique in medical laboratory research and biomedical research.
Did You Know?
- PCR was invented in 1983 by American biochemist Kary Mullis at Cetus Corporation.
- Almost all PCR applications employ a heat-stable DNA polymerase such as Taq polymerase, originally isolated from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus.
- Before the use of Taq polymerase, DNA polymerase had to be manually added every cycle, which was tedious and costly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Polymerase chain reaction?
PCR is a laboratory technique that rapidly produces many copies of a targeted DNA segment so it can be examined in detail. It was devised in 1983 by American biochemist Kary Mullis while he was working at Cetus Corporation.
What are Polymerase chain reaction's powers/role?
Its defining ability is to exponentially multiply a chosen stretch of DNA, turning a trace sample into millions of identical copies in a short time. This amplification step is what makes downstream genetic analysis feasible at all.
How does Polymerase chain reaction's story end?
Rather than concluding with a single event, PCR remains an active, everyday workhorse in laboratories worldwide. It continues to underpin genetic testing, ancient-DNA research, and the identification of infectious agents to this day.
Why is Polymerase chain reaction important?
It is regarded as a cornerstone of modern biochemistry and molecular biology because it unlocked the ability to study genetic material that was previously too scarce to handle. Without it, procedures in clinical diagnostics, forensic identification, and evolutionary research would be far more limited.
Who created Polymerase chain reaction and in what field?
Kary Mullis, an American biochemist, conceived the method in 1983 during his tenure at Cetus Corporation. The technique sits at the intersection of biochemistry and molecular biology and is best known as Mullis's signature invention.
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