June 30, 2019 | PCR Solutions

How AllTaq Kits improve everyday PCR

Working with DNA samples requires a lot of accuracy and precision. Anyone who has ever run a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is very aware of how time consuming and complex this technique is. There are so many rules to follow and steps where potential mistakes can be introduced. But, does it have to be that complicated? Is there any way to simplify your work? Is the dream of confidently processing your PCR possible? We have an answer for you.

In our previous blog post,we introduced an extraordinarily easy solution for everyday PCR. In it, we discussed AllTaq Master Mix and PCR Core Kits, providing ways to easily improve your lab life and obtain better results. We mentioned our hot-start mechanism to ensure reagents remain stable on the bench at room temperature, the new generation buffer system for unsurpassed reliability and visual pipetting control with gel tracking dyes monitor successful procedure. While all of that sounds great, you might wonder if this really works as well as presented. Is it just a fairy tale? No need to wonder any more – we got fellow scientists to check it for you.

At the University of Nottingham, young scientists are working to find safe and effective therapy for Clostridium difficile associated diseases. This microorganism is a highly dangerous nosocomial pathogen and poses many serious problems. In the USA alone, there are around 250,000 patients infected by Clostridium difficile and approximately 14,000 deaths caused by this pathogen every year (1). Despite repeated efforts, this remains a major challenge for healthcaresystems around the world. The solution might be bacteriophage (phage) therapy for treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection based on their potential impact in the success of fecal microbiota transplantation (2).

At the University of Nottingham, studies focused on better understanding the interaction between phages and bacteria at the molecular level involve a great deal of PCR in their daily experiments. In this video, you can hear about the main challenges they face in everyday work. Using the proper conditions and adjusting procedures accordingly is one thing, but time is also taking a large part of their research. AllTaq Kits help to improve and speed up their work. Offering the ability to handle GC-rich sequences, visual pipetting control and removing ice from the equation allows scientists to get results faster and more efficiently. When the data obtained from a study might help thousands of people all over the world, every minute matters.

If you ever worked in a lab with DNA samples, you know how complex this process is and how focused you need to be as even the smallest mistake might affect your results. Each solution intent on making life in the lab easier is highly appreciated. We at QIAGEN understand this and with this in mind, we developed AllTaq Kits – your unique solution for PCR to be covered with confidence.

References:

1. Katherine R. Hargreaves, Martha R. J. Clokie (2014) Clostridium difficile phages: still difficult? Front Microbiol.; 5: 184

2. Louis-Charles Fortier (2018) Bacteriophages Contribute to Shaping Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile Species. Front Microbiol.; 9: 2033

Anita Lis

Anita Lis, B.Sc, M.Sc, is a Global Campaign Manager at QIAGEN. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Biotechnology at the Rzeszow University of Technology. Anita joined QIAGEN in 2018 and she is involved in supporting projects in Life Science business area. Before joining QIAGEN, Anita worked for an Irish company specialized in providing medical billing services to customers throughout Ireland and the UK.