Specimen chambers have had many designs published over the years describing systems that offer excellent optical properties while allowing specimens to be maintained for varying amounts of time. Ranging in complexity from the simple preparation of a sealed coverslip on a microscope slide to sophisticated perfusion chambers that enable tight control of virtually all environmental variables culture chambers are designed to to allow living specimens to be observed with minimal invasion at high res. - [Read Culture Chambers for Live-Cell Imaging]
General guidelines for long-PCR conditions and enzyme mixtures. Efficient long-PCR results from the use of two polymerases: a non-proofreading polymerase is the main polymerase in the reaction, and a proofreading polymerase (3' to 5' exo) is present at a lower concentration. Includes: For PCR with low-complexity templates (e.g., plasmid and cosmid inserts); For PCR with moderate-complexity templates (e.g., bacterial genomic DNA); For PCR with high-complexity templates (e.g., human genomic DNA). - [Read Long-PCR Reagents and Guidelines]
PCR can be used to identify rare DNA sequences in DNA libraries by increasing the abundance of a particular sequence. This is accomplished by subdividing the original library into pools of decreased complexity and screening each pool or group of pools for a given DNA sequence. - [Read PCR-Based Screening of DNA Libraries Protocol]
PCR can be used to identify rare DNA sequences in DNA libraries by increasing the abundance of a particular sequence. This is accomplished by subdividing the original library into pools of decreased complexity and screening each pool or group of pools for a given DNA sequence. A pool that contains the desired clone is subsequently subdivided into smaller pools, each of which is screened using the same PCR protocol that was used for the primary screen. - [Read PCR-Based Screening of DNA Libraries Protocol]
PCR is used as a preparative tool for the synthesis of a high-complexity double-stranded DNA library. In the example presented here, a mixture of synthetic oligonucleotides is used to synthesize a random peptide NNK library, where K is either T or G. The exclusion of A and C nucleotides at the third position decreases the occurrence of stop codons but still allows codons for all 20 amino acids. - [Read Use of PCR to Prepare a Double-Stranded DNA Library Encoding Random Peptides Protocol]
DNA microarrays are an ordered arrangement of DNA molecules complementary to genes of interest that are "spotted" by robotic equipment onto a glass slide substrate. The expression of genes in cells can be monitored with microarrays by preparing cDNA from the mRNA of cells of interest and measuring the hybridization to the microarray. This protocol describes the labeling of genomic DNA for use as a probe for hybridization to the cDNA spotted on the array.