1. Qai Gordon and Maddy Marchetti

2. What is Polymerase Chain Reaction? Polymerase Chain Reaction ( PCR ) is a process that amplifies small pieces of DNA to create multiple copies of that DNA sequence Also called DNA amplification

3. Applications of PCR To study patterns of gene expression To find the presence of genetic disease mutations To provide therapy for cancer patients To provide more substantial evidence in crime scenes To analyze the DNA of ancient organisms

4. DNA sample is obtained and denatured by heating it to 98°C Step 1

5. Step 2 DNA sample is cooled to 60°C Primers are annealed (bonded) to each strand – Primers: short strands of DNA that set up the starting sequence for the DNA synthesis

6. Step 3 DNA polymerase binds to the primers and synthesizes the target DNA sequence with free nucleotides

7. Results of PCR After one cycle, two copies of the original target sequence exist If steps 1-3 are repeated multiple times, the DNA replicates at an exponential rate

8. Thermal Cycler Loading tray: where prepared samples are placed in tiny tubes Temperature Control: heating and refrigeration mechanisms inside the machine to change the temperature quickly Controls: ways to control the machine and start and stop the PCR process

9. Animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YgXcJ4n- kQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YgXcJ4n- kQ