Probably one of the hottest methods right now in the world of science is PCR (polymerase chain reaction). What started in 1983 as a simple method to amplify DNA now has many different variations and endless application possibilities. As of today, PCR reached the “golden standard” status and is the most applied method in molecular diagnostics with hard-to-beat accuracy and reliability. PCR is routinely applied in infectious disease diagnostics, but also genetic, oncology, prenatal screenings. I doubt that the PCR inventor would have ever guessed that this would become the method eventually transferring the whole healthcare industry. Today, using the same PCR reaction we are basically able to detect anything within minutes, which is a powerful and irreplaceable tool in the hands of medical professionals.
The most popular variations are probably the conventional PCR aka endpoint PCR and qPCR also known as real-time PCR or RT-PCR. To avoid any confusion we are going with endpoint PCR and qPCR.
Both of these variations have a quite similar general mechanism. First, you need purified DNA (not mandatory, but recommended). The larger part of the PCR reaction occurs in three main steps, repeated around 20-40 times.
There aren’t many people who can lead teams as well as our Head of Quality and Product Management Eva-Maria does. She is like that red string on a mystery board connecting all the departments. If you would like to get a little closer to solving the great leadership puzzle that Eva-Maria has mastered, have a look at the following story.
On the 4th and 5th of June representatives from South Korea visited Tartu. Their primary focus was on exploring opportunities in the fields of biotechnology and medicine, seeking potential collaborators in Estonia. We had the great pleasure of meeting the delegation and sharing our knowledge on both days of the visit.
Every once in a while comes a time when things need to be improved to keep up with the rapidly evolving field of science. Our SolisGreen® products were first developed almost 10 years ago and have now gone through an upgrade to be even more efficient and stable.
Lyophilization, also known as freeze-drying, is in simple terms a water-removal process that increases product stability and preserves its functionality. Our new SolisFAST® Lyo-Ready qPCR Kit with UNG represents an optimized lyophilization-compatible qPCR solution to enhance the simplicity, convenience, and speed of diagnostic and applied testing.