PCR is a sensitive yet effective process for rapidly multiplying a single sample of a target DNA sequence into millions of samples. Therefore, PCR plastics used in such research must be devoid of impurities and inhibitors and of the highest quality to ensure optimal PCR performance.
So, if you utilize PCR plates, PCR Tubes with Flat Caps, or any other PCR plastics, you should be aware of all the necessary features. This will enable you to select those that will assist you in obtaining dependable and accurate experimental results.
Here you will find every necessary detail concerning PCRs and PCR plastics.
Plastic Composition In PCRs
Materials
The most frequent material used in PCR plastics is Polypropylene. This is due to their inertness and ability to withstand fast temperature changes during thermal cycling. The inert property of these PCR plastics reduces component absorption, resulting in superior PCR results.
Colors
PCR plates and tubes are now available in a variety of colors to aid with sample identification and management. However, the hue does not affect the amplification of the DNA. To enable accurate and sensitive fluorescence detection, frosted, transparent, or white plastics are highly suggested to set up real-time PCR reactions.
PCR Plastic Essentials
PCR plastics are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. When you understand the properties and language of these polymers, you may acquire the best PCR results.
Reaction Size Or Fill Volume
The volume of a successfully performed PCR reaction is determined by the fill volume of a PCR plastic. Overfilling any vessel can result in spillage, cross-contamination, and ineffective heat transfer. However, underfilling produces problems like evaporation, resulting in sample loss. Using the thermal block, you can simply determine the size of the PCR plastics to be used for optimum heat transfer.
Profile
A PCR profile is the height of a single vessel in a plate. In a PCR plate, a ‘low profile’ means that the height is lowered. The low-profile PCR plastics help to decrease the air space above the reaction, minimizing evaporation and increasing thermal conductivity. Therefore, the low-profile alternative is strongly recommended for many studies.
Wall Thickness
PCR plastics, especially with thin and uniform walls, can maximize consistent heat transfer to and from the samples. This makes the reactions completely error-free and optimal. Our top recommendation for PCR plastics is ultra-thin walls, which are 50% thinner than conventional walls and reduce the thermal barrier even further. This results in quicker and more robust reactions.
Clarity
The PCR plastic caps and seals should have excellent optical clarity to reduce distortion and enhance fluorescence signal transmission. White vessels are strongly suggested for even better PCR results.
Tube Formats
Tubes are an excellent alternative for PCR studies with low to medium throughput. Individual tubes and tube strips are two of the most prevalent formats.
Individual Tubes allow you to precisely set up the number of reactions required for your studies. When a scale-up response is necessary, the most common size available in separate tubes is 0.5ml.
Tube strips are often sold in packs of 8 or 12 with attached or independent caps. They are intended to function with both multi-channel and single-channel pipettes, and they are also appropriate for low and medium-throughput experiments. The ones that come with the connected caps allow you to open and close the tubes individually to prevent sample contamination.
Plate Formats
PCR plates are widely available in 24 wells, 48 wells, 96 wells, and 384 wells configurations. The ones you need are determined by the type of experiment you conduct. The kind of skirt or deck you want should influence your decision. You can choose between non-skirted, semi-skirted, and completely skirted plates.
Conclusive Thoughts
So, now that you’ve learned everything there is to know about PCR plastics, you’re ready to pick one for your experiment. Browse Mbp inc for the selection of PCR plastics. Aside from that, we offer a variety of molecular biology products, such as aluminum sealing films. So get ready to carry out your next experiment flawlessly.
References:
ThermoFisher Scientific. “PCR/qPCR Plastics Considerations–4 Main Attributes.”
ThermoFisher Scientific, 2017, https://www.thermofisher.com/pk/en/home/life-science/cloning/cloning-learning-center/invitrogen-school-of-molecular-biology/pcr-education/pcr-qpcr-plastics/pcr-qpcr-plastics-considerations.html#on_this_page. Accessed 7 12 2021.
