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Gradient Thermal Cycler Must Have Features

With the breakneck pace of the technological upgrades in our modern society, it is no wonder that the science driving a pcr thermal cycler, also known as a thermocycler, is ever improving. When looking to purchase a thermocycler for the first time or looking to upgrade your DNA testing capabilities in your laboratory, here are some features to look for in order to obtain the most cutting edge technological advancements in the field.

1. Fast Temperature Changes

Increased speed in temperature alterations will save you untold amounts of time in the laboratory. Performing DNA testing, you should be able to switch temperatures at a quick pace to keep you running the tests you need done.

2. Short Settling Time

Once your pcr thermal cycler gets to the appropriate temperature, the instrument will need additional time to settle and stabilize into a precise zone. Look for models which provide short stabilization intervals to increase your throughput.

3. Precise Block Temperature Uniformity

One of the largest factors in testing repeatability is thermocycler block uniformity. Regardless of the location where temperature measurements are taken across the block, the reading should be the same. Ensure your pcr thermal cycler has tight tolerance levels for its block uniformity.

4. Interchangeable Blocks with multiple block formats

The needs of a laboratory can be very dynamic. Be careful to ensure that your thermocycler has the capability to change out the block. If your block fails or your lab needs to change to a different block format, you can simply purchase a new block rather than an entirely new instrument. This simple step could potentially save you thousands of dollars.

5. Gradient and Non-Gradient Capabilities

When you integrate gradient technology into your pcr thermal cycler will make it a much more robust instrument. This feature will undoubtedly save your laboratory tons of time by allowing you to test samples at multiple temperatures on a single run. This gradient thermal cycler feature is a must have.

6. Small Instrument Footprint

Laboratory space is limited. Don't find yourself with a gigantic bulky machine. Advancements in thermocycler technology have made it possible to drastically reduce the instrument's footprint.

7. Adequate Memory for Programming

Ensure that your pcr thermal cycler has an amble amount of memory allocated for user programming. It can be a pain programming the same protocol over and over again. Save yourself the headache by getting the proper amount of memory.

For more thermal cycler information and product specifications check out these gradient thermal cycler options.

About the Author

Michael is a former laboratory equipment service technician who know specializes in Gradient Thermal Cycler products and technology. 

How would you do a successful PCR with a GC rich template?

I'm studying genetic engineering, but at a basic level and I can't find the answer to this question in anything but gobbledygook. What do you need to change from the normal PCR? This is the method I have for normal PCR, but I need to find how to do a successful PCR with a DNA fragment that has a high GC fragment.

Hi there,

PCR is a funny thing sometimes it works brilliantly straight away and other times not and it can be a bit of trial and error to get it to work.

To amplify a GC rich template I would try adding DMSO or glycerol at a concentration of between 5-10%. This can help improve amplification efficiency and the specificity of the reaction. Adding Betaine to the reaction mix also helps.

It may also help to include an initial denaturing step of 95C usually lasting 2-5 minutes. A PCR template with a high GC content may be hard to denature.

Ensuring that you are using the optimum annealing temperature and time is also important for getting good product amplification. Generally the annealing temperature is related to the GC content of the primer.

Just so there is no confusion with the terms I've used, here is the PCR cycle I usually use.

Initial denaturing step 95C 2-5min

Cycle the following 25 times
Denaturing step 95C 30sec
Annealing step 50-56C 30sec
Elongation Step 72C 1min per 1kb

Final elongation step 72C 5min

Hope this helps.

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