PCR Troubleshooting

How To Guide

Last Updated: March 14, 2022

Written by

Carl Robinson, PhD

Credit: iStock.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is among the most widely used techniques in the molecular biology lab. Enabling the amplification of specific small DNA fragments, its principle is simple but effective. Typically, performing PCR does not require high levels of training and skill or exorbitantly expensive equipment to achieve good results relatively quickly. However, the information that can be obtained and its utility as a tool make it a powerful technique. Consequently, PCR has found a place in many areas of science, from diagnostic testing to genetic engineering and forensic analyses.

Download this guide to discover key considerations when performing PCR, including:

Concentration and purity of starting sample
Primer suitability
Downstream applications
Annealing temperatures

Meet the Author

White letters "CR" on a navy background.

Carl Robinson, PhD

Senior Research Associate

Carl attained a BSc (microbiology, 1992) and PhD (molecular microbiology of bacterial spore germination, 1996) from the University of Sheffield. He then did a three-year post-doctoral position at the University of Portsmouth investigating eukaryotic transcription factors involved in blood development. In 2000, he moved to the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, utilizing his molecular biology expertise, to identify diagnostic and vaccine targets and their translation into commercial products. The focus was primarily veterinary streptococcal pathogens, which led to the development of both commercial diagnostic tests and a licensed vaccine. Currently, Carl is a senior research associate at the University of Cambridge School of Veterinary Medicine, utilizing massively parallel sequencing of bacterial pathogens to identify potential vaccine targets to combat respiratory disease in horses.