Patent · US Expired

In situ polymerase chain reaction

US5538871A · kind A · utility

83Cited by
7References
24Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateFeb 17, 1995
Grant dateJul 23, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 17, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC12Q1/686
  • WIPO fieldBiotechnology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Improvements to the in situ polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a process of in vitro enzymatic amplification of specific nucleic acid sequences within the cells where they originate, can be achieved by changing the way that the enzymatic reaction is started. Reaction initiation is delayed until the start of PCR thermal cycling, either by withholding a subset of PCR reagents from the cellular preparation until the preparation has been heated to 50.degree. C. to 80.degree. C., immediately before thermal cycling is begun, or by adding to the PCR reagents a single-stranded DNA binding protein which blocks reaction at temperatures below about 50.degree. C. If the in situ PCR is performed on cellular preparations already attached to a microscope slide, thermal cycling also is facilitated by use of a thermal cycler sample block or compartment designed optimally to hold the microscope slide and any vapor barrier covering the slide.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.