Important Publications at Nature

1. PCR Replicating success
Pete Moore
SUMMARY: PCR often gets taken for granted, but there are ways of making it faster, more accurate and easier to perform. Pete Moore investigates.
CONTEXT: As a means of rapidly copying a selected template sequence from a DNA mixture in vitro, PCR by itself and in combination with other techniques has found a vast range of applications. These range from sequence detection and isolation for...
Nature 435, 235 - 238 (11 May 2005), doi: 10.1038/435235a, Technology Feature
Full Text PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

2. Codon optimization to PCR
SUMMARY: Recent introductions include an array of heart disease genes.
CONTEXT: A2 readerBeckman Coulterhttp://www.beckmancoulter.comFluorescence-based CCD microplate reader The A2 is designed for automatic quantification of hundreds of protein analytes on the A2 microarray plate as part of Beckman Coulter's A2...
Nature 425, 540 - 540 (02 Oct 2003), doi: 10.1038/425540a, New on the Market
Full Text PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

3. Putting the C into PCR
SUMMARY: A round-up of thermocyclers and other PCR-related kit.
CONTEXT: Replication System and TSPNunchttp://www.nuncbrand.comSteel yourself With pins made of stainless steel, the Nunc Replication System is capable of transferring small inocula (1.0µl from liquid, 0.1µl from solid supports), resulting in...
Nature 419, 95 - 96 (05 Sep 2002), doi: 10.1038/419095a, New on the Market
Full Text PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

4. Turning the heat on PCR
SUMMARY: Thermocycling and PCR are the themes this week.
CONTEXT: Auto-LidApplied Biosystemshttp://www.appliedbiosystems.comCover-up for System 9700 thermal cyclers The Auto-Lid dual 384-well module for the GeneAMP PCR System 9700 thermal cycler is driven by a stepper motor that provides precise...
Nature 415, 818 - 818 (14 Feb 2002), doi: 10.1038/415818a, New on the Market
Full Text PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

5. PCR amplification of the Irish potato famine pathogen from historic specimens
Jean B. Ristaino, Carol T. Groves, Gregory R. Parra
SUMMARY: Late blight, caused by the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is a devastating disease of potato and was responsible for epidemics that led to the Irish potato famine in 1845 (refs 1
CONTEXT: Late blight, caused by the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is a devastating disease of potato and was responsible for epidemics that led to the Irish potato famine in 1845 (refs 1,2,3,4,5). Before the 1980s, worldwide...
Nature 411, 695 - 697 (07 Jun 2001), doi: 10.1038/35079606, Letter
Abstract Full Text PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

6. Patent ruling could cut PCR enzyme prices
Rex Dalton
CONTEXT: San Diego The European Patent Office (EPO) last week revoked a patent for an important thermally stable enzyme used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process for DNA amplification. The decision brings with it the prospect that the...
Nature 411, 622 - 622 (07 Jun 2001), doi: 10.1038/35079739, News
Full Text PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

7. Promega and Roche take up battle over PCR patents
Rex Dalton
SUMMARY: SAN FRANCISCO The Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Hoffman-La Roche Inc. is facing a series of legal hearings over the validity of two key patents that it holds on the polymerase chain reaction
CONTEXT: San Francisco The Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Hoffman-LaRoche is facing a series of legal hearings over the validity of its two key patents on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The process will culminate in a trial in a federal...
Nature 404, 7 - 7 (02 Mar 2000), doi: 10.1038/35003722, News
Full Text PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

8. Simplified hot start PCR
David E. Birch, L. Kolmodin, J. Wong, G. A. Zangenberg, M. A. Zoccoli, N. McKinney, K. K. Y. Young
SUMMARY: The use of a thermally activated DNA polymerase PCR gives improved specificity, sensitivity and product yield without additives or extra process steps.
CONTEXT: HIGH background and low specific product yield can occur in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) when reaction components are mixed at room temperature1"3. Reaction setup below the optimal primer annealing temperature (usually 50-65 °C)...
Nature 381, 445 - 446 (30 May 1996), doi: 10.1038/381445a0, Product Review
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

9. PCR identification of black caviar
Rob DeSalle, Vadim J. Birstein
CONTEXT: SIR - Sturgeons (family Acipenseridae) and paddlefishes (family Polyodontidae), well known as producers of caviar, are threatened by unregulated overfishing, dams eliminating access to spawning grounds, and pollution1"3. Three species...
Nature 381, 197 - 198 (16 May 1996), doi: 10.1038/381197a0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

10. Patent on PCR enzymes may re-ignite old controversy
David Dickson
CONTEXT: London. Controversy over the patent rights to Taq polymerase, one of the basic thermostable enzymes used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process, is likely to resurface following a decision by the European Patent Office (EPO) to...
Nature 372, 212 - 212 (17 Nov 1994), doi: 10.1038/372212a0, News
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link
11. The progeny of sexual PCR
George P. Smith
CONTEXT: FOR about a decade now, molecular biologists have been introducing random mutations into genes in order to probe structure-function relationships and to evolve new functions or improve old ones in vitro. The most popular methods include...
Nature 370, 324 - 325 (04 Aug 1994), doi: 10.1038/370324a0, News and Views
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

12. Long PCR
Suzanne Cheng, Sheng-Yung Chang, Patti Gravitt, Richard Respess
SUMMARY: As increasingly longer DNA targets are amplified reliably, new applications for PCR are becoming possible.
CONTEXT: USE of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA sequences has been widespread in molecular genetics research, including genome mapping and sequencing studies' 3. However, robust amplification of targets greater than ˜5...
Nature 369, 684 - 685 (23 Jun 1994), doi: 10.1038/369684a0, Product Review
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

13. Multi-target PCR analysis by capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence
Wei Lu, Dai-Shu Han, Ju Yuan, Jean-Marie Andrieu
SUMMARY: Quantitative analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified HIV-1 DNA or cDNA fragments is attained using an automated system that combines capillary-gel electrophoresis (CGE) for high-eff
CONTEXT: IN many applications in molecular biology and biomedical research, quantitative detection of target sequences in native nucleic acids is frequently required. Although the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology has enabled significant...
Nature 368, 269 - 271 (17 Mar 1994), doi: 10.1038/368269a0, Product Review
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

14. Dead Romanovs identified PCR
SUMMARY: Apart from the usual crop of gene assignments (for hereditary haemorrhagic telanglectasia, for example) this month's issue carries further the genetics of expanding repeating elements.
CONTEXT: THE use of DNA analysis for forensic purposes still resembles laboratory inves-tigation in that those responsible cannot behave as automata. So much is clear from the genetic identification of the remains, found in a shallow grave 35 km...
Nature 367, 580 - 580 (10 Feb 1994), doi: 10.1038/367580a0, Nature Genetics
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

15. Quantitative PCR
Rudolf J. Wiesner, Bea Beinbrech, J. Caspar Rüegg
CONTEXT: SIR - In their Product Review1 on the competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique that compares the accumulation of two products derived from a known amount of standard and the target, respectively, to quantitate the initial...
Nature 366, 416 - 416 (02 Dec 1993), doi: 10.1038/366416b0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

16. PCR primer
Diane Gershon
SUMMARY: This week's sampler includes a new kit for the rapid purification of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, a new matrix for isolating PCR-quality DNA and a kit for PCR amplification of the 5'
CONTEXT: THE trapezoidal tooth design of the TaperTooth comb from Gensura Laborato-ries creates 3- or 4-mm deep wells in stand-ard 4- or 5-mm thick analytical agarose gels (Reader Service No. 100). Gensura says that triangular-shaped agarose well...
Nature 365, 189 - 191 (09 Sep 1993), doi: 10.1038/365189a0, Product Review
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

17. European patent for PCR enzyme clouded by Russian claim
David Dickson
CONTEXT: London. A Russian scientist whose research group was one of the first to isolate a thermostable enzyme from the bacterium Thermus aquaticus is claiming that his enzyme is identical to the widely used Taq DNA polymerase for which the US...
Nature 364, 2 - 2 (01 Jul 1993), doi: 10.1038/364002a0, News
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

18. Licences sought from PCR users in Britain
David Dickson
CONTEXT: London. Genetic-screening services through-out Britain could have their costs increase significantly as a result of claims for royal-ties on one of the basic laboratory tech-niques used in diagnostic testing, polymerase chain reaction...
Nature 361, 291 - 291 (28 Jan 1993), doi: 10.1038/361291b0, News
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

19. Competitive PCR
Paul D. Siebert, James W. Larrick
SUMMARY: Competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) can be used to obtain quantitative information of mRNA levels comparable to traditional RNA blot techniques, with the added ad
CONTEXT: THE combined use of reverse transcription followed by the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) enables the amplification of individual RNA molecules. This method (recently reviewed in ref. 1) is variously termed RT-PCR2, RNA-PCR3, RNA...
Nature 359, 557 - 558 (08 Oct 1992), doi: 10.1038/359557a0, Product Review
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

20. Excrement analysis by PCR
Matthias Höss, Michael Kohn, Svante Pääbo, Felix Knauer, Wolfgang Schröder
CONTEXT: SIR - Samples from endangered animals are hard to obtain for genetic analysis. To study a threatened bear population in the Pyrenees, Taberlet and Bouvet1 used hair collected from wire netting attached to trees on which the bears scratch...
Nature 359, 199 - 199 (17 Sep 1992), doi: 10.1038/359199a0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

21. Forensic use of PCR in Italy
ANGELO FIORI, VINCENZOL. PASCALI
CONTEXT: SIR - Following the admission of the use of evidence obtained through the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in British courts1, attention has been drawn to the forensic use of PCR in Italy. Dallapiccola et al.2 reported that at the...
Nature 356, 471 - 471 (09 Apr 1992), doi: 10.1038/356471a0, Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

22. Roche cuts controversial PCR fees, testing limits
Christopher Anderson
CONTEXT: Researchers fought high prices, restrictions Firm promises reforms, may increase profits. UNDER pressure from researchers and diagnostic companies, Swiss-owned pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche last week agreed to lower its prices...
Nature 355, 379 - 379 (30 Jan 1992), doi: 10.1038/355379a0, News
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

23. PCR DNA typing for forensics
BRUNO DALLAPICCOLA, GIUSEPPE NOVELLI, ALDO SPINELLA
CONTEXT: SIR - The first admission by a British court of forensic evidence using the polymerase chain reation (PCR)1' suggests that acceptance of this test could quickly become general outside the United States3. In actual casework, great care...
Nature 354, 179 - 179 (21 Nov 1991), doi: 10.1038/354179a0, Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

24. Cetus retains PCR patents
Elizabeth Schaefer
CONTEXT: San Francisco CETUS Corporation has finally nailed down its lucrative patent on the revolutionary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technol-ogy. Last week, a US District Court upheld the validity of the patents granted to the biotechnology...
Nature 350, 6 - 6 (07 Mar 1991), doi: 10.1038/350006a0, News
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

25. More light on PCR contamination
GOBINDA SARKAR, STEVE SOMMER
CONTEXT: SIR-In our recent Scientific Correspon-dence1 we showed that ultraviolet light was a potent inactivator of a 750-base pair segment of DNA when it contaminated reagents. All reagents, including Taq polymerase, could be decontaminated but,...
Nature 347, 340 - 341 (27 Sep 1990), doi: 10.1038/347340b0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

26. Improving PCR efficiency
B. FURRER, U. CANDRIAN, P. WIELAND, J. LÃœTHY
CONTEXT: SIR-The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a very sensitive in vitro DNA amplification method1. Therefore, carryover of even minute quantities of reaction products can lead to serious contamination problems and false-positive results....
Nature 346, 324 - 324 (26 Jul 1990), doi: 10.1038/346324b0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

27. PCR test for cystic fibrosis deletion
ANDREA BALLABIO, RICHARDA. GIBBS, C. THOMAS CASKEY
CONTEXT: SIR-Kerem et al.1 recently reported that approximately 70 per cent of the mutations in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients correspond to a specific deletion of 3 base pairs (bp) at amino-acid position 508 (AF508) of the putative product of the...
Nature 343, 220 - 220 (18 Jan 1990), doi: 10.1038/343220a0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

28. Shedding light on PCR contamination
GOBINDA SARKAR, STEVES SOMMER
CONTEXT: SIR-The most pernicious problem plaguing the widely used technique of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is contamination of reagents with previously Effect of ultraviolet irradiation c 1 on PCR. A standard protocol6 was used to prepare...
Nature 343, 27 - 27 (04 Jan 1990), doi: 10.1038/343027a0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

29. PCR origins
JEFFREY S. PRICE
CONTEXT: SIR We noted with interest the short note, entitled "DNA amplification" (Nature 341, 570; 1989) which suggests that scientists who use PCR "dust off" the Journal of Molecular Biology from 1971, and read the paper by "H. Gobind Khorana...
Nature 342, 623 - 623 (07 Dec 1989), doi: 10.1038/342623b0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link

30. PCR and more besides
T. L.
CONTEXT: 'LONG-awaited' is the tag publishers on occasion apply to their books that appear months, even years, after they were first announced - and, it turns out, to indifferent public reaction. That should not be the fate of the long-awaited...
Nature 341, 196 - 196 (21 Sep 1989), doi: 10.1038/341196b0, Book Review
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link


31. Avoiding false positives with PCR
S. Kwok, R. Higuchi
SUMMARY: The exquisite sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction means DNA contamination can ruin an entire experiment. Tidiness and adherence to a strict set of protocols can avoid disaster.
CONTEXT: THE polymerase chain reaction (PCR)13 is a powerful, exquisitely sensitive34 technique with applications in many fields such as molecular biology, medical diagnostics, population genetics and forensic analysis. The use of specific DNA...
Nature 339, 237 - 238 (18 May 1989), doi: 10.1038/339237a0, Product Review
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link


32. Polymerase chain reaction reveals cloning artefacts
SVANTE PÄÄBO, ALLAN C. WILSON
CONTEXT: SIR-The recently developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) makes possible the in vitro amplification of specific DNA segments bounded by an oligonucleotide primer on each strand1. During successive cycles of denaturation and extension of...
Nature 334, 387 - 388 (04 Aug 1988), doi: 10.1038/334387b0, Scientific Correspondence
PDF Rights and permissions Save this link