Creative Emulsification

Enhancing data collection from emulsion PCR reactions: three case studies

| 8 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
8:00
Share

© GREG DALE/GETTY IMAGES

Not quite 30 years old, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the workhorse of many biology labs. While the basic premise—the amplification of DNA samples of interest—has remained constant, creative twists have allowed scientists to adapt the technique to a plethora of applications, including determination of gene expression levels via copy numbers of specific RNA transcripts via quantitative PCR. Advances in genomics have pushed researchers to boost PCR’s utility by both narrowing the focus—concentrating on genetic information from just one molecule or cell—and widening the net, by increasing the number of reactions run in a single experiment.

One technique that researchers employ to reach these goals is high-throughput PCR that takes place in an emulsion. A water phase containing the PCR solution—primers, polymerase, nucleotides, and ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo
New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

Sino

Products

Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Explore a Concise Guide to Optimizing Viral Transduction

A Visual Guide to Lentiviral Gene Delivery

Takara Bio
Inventia Life Science

Inventia Life Science Launches RASTRUM™ Allegro to Revolutionize High-Throughput 3D Cell Culture for Drug Discovery and Disease Research

An illustration of differently shaped viruses.

Detecting Novel Viruses Using a Comprehensive Enrichment Panel

Twist Bio