Use of grease or wax in the polymerase chain reaction
US5411876A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 27, 1992 |
| Grant date | May 2, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 27, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2035/00277
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Improvements to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a process for in vitro enzymatic amplification of specific nucleic acid sequences, can be achieved by changing the way that PCR reagents are mixed and the enzymatic reaction is started and by the replacement of mineral oil, commonly used as a vapor barrier to minimize solvent evaporation, by a grease or wax. The use of such mixtures allows for the delay of reagent mixing until the first heating step of a PCR amplification, thereby reducing the enzymatic generation of nonspecific products which occurs when a complete mixture of PCR reagents, with or without test sample, stands at room temperature or below. These mixtures increase the shelf-life of PCR reagents and increase protection of the laboratory environment against contamination by PCR product.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.