4 Tips To Choose The Right Thermocycler

The polymerase chain reaction is known as the most powerful technique in molecular biology science.  Due to its technicalities,  PCR is also called a sensitive technique. The PCR procedure is widely applicable in the scientific world. To execute the polymerase chain reaction swiftly, thermocyclers are used.  With the use of thermocyclers,  the technique can do a rapid diagnosis of any type of disease. The polymerase chain reaction has a great impact on cancer research because of its efficient pcr amplification process.

As the polymerase chain reaction is finding popularity among researchers and scientists, thermocyclers are also getting popular. Thermocyclers are called an important part of a polymerase chain reaction. PCR assays can be executed by the use of DNA samples and the translocation of genes can also be detected with it. All the steps of PCR are performed in the PCR machines called thermocyclers.  Fluorescence is also seen in the thermocyclers to detect the presence of any kind of violent gene in the samples. It is very important to get the right and appropriate thermocycler for the polymerase chain reaction. An efficient thermal cycler can perform all steps of PCR in all types of PCR, giving a good result.  Almost every scientific laboratory uses thermal cyclers for performing PCR reactions.  

Thermocyclers In Life Science Research

In life science research, thermocyclers are the integral part that executes the process of PCR.   The molecular biology techniques like DNA sequencing, generation of probes,  quantification of DNA and RNA, analysis of gene expression, cloning, detection of pathogen and sequence-tagged sites, etc. All these techniques use the PCR technique for generating the appropriate results. 

Thermocyclers extend the use of polymerase chain reaction,  beyond the conventional methods.  PCR amplification is done with these PCR thermal cyclers quantitatively.  The hold of temperature and ability to control all precise temperatures in the process of PCR makes the thermal cyclers more approachable.  A thermocycler can very efficiently hold all types of temperature variants used up in the polymerase chain reactions. QPCR techniques all use thermocyclers for generating real-time results. 

The purpose of thermal cyclers is to provide a precise setup for performing polymerase chain reaction steps. The PCR machines or thermocyclers can be used up with strict protocols to reach the results.  For example, the heating of tissue slides and in situ hybridization use the thermocyclers in life science research.  Apart from all this, the optimization of the PCR control is done by the use of thermal cyclers only.   In a PCR reaction,  the optimization of all steps is very necessary, so thermal cyclers are used in the process.  A thermocycler with a gradient feature allows the researchers and scientists to set the temperatures.

In this way, thermal cyclers are all used in the life science research areas. Thermal cycler coupled with the PCR reaction cycles makes the application more approachable.

Tips To Choose The Right Thermocycler

The market is full of different types of thermal cyclers. Some are stacked up with good features and some are just reasonable in their way.  As a researcher, you want a good and appropriate thermal cycler for your polymerase chain reactions. The process of choosing the right thermal cycler is very tedious and confusing work. With a lot of offers, you may feel confused. So, to eliminate the confusion,  we have brought you a list of tips while choosing the right thermocycler for your research and polymerase chain reaction steps.

Following are the tips for choosing the right thermocycler :

1.  Know Your Reaction‘s Accurate Uniform Temperature

The polymerase chain reaction or rt PCR, or real-time PCR is highly sensitive. The different steps of polymerase chain reactions, denaturation,  annealing, and extension are highly dependent on the temperatures.  When you go purchasing the thermal cycler,  always keep in mind the accurate temperature of the reaction.  The uniformity of temperature is a must in reverse transcriptase PCR and qPCR reactions. Thermal cyclers of appropriate and uniform temperature.

A thermocycler of uniform and accurate temperature extends the reproducibility of the polymerase chain reaction. It is said that if your reaction is not able to reproduce its results, then it is not that reliable. So, it is always recommended to be sure that the well-to-well accuracy should be tested on the thermal cycler. To get better temperature points throughout the PCR reaction. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction is sensitive to the temperatures modified by the thermal cyclers. 

2.  Know About The Precise Optimization Control Of The Thermal Cycler And Your PCR Reaction

In polymerase chain reaction steps, optimization is very important.  The annealing process requires an ideal temperature for all PCR primers to bind with target DNA. This step uses the various temperature gradients of the thermal cyclers so that the right temperature can be tested. The thermal cycler which has gradients for temperature setup is good for the polymerase chain reaction.  Before purchasing a thermocycler, know about its temperature gradients.   If any thermal cycler does not have the feature of the temperature gradient then it can be difficult for the researcher to reach the optimization level in the PCR steps. To overcome the problem of not reaching the non-optimizing point,  better than gradient technology used in thermocyclers. The feature allows the implementation of more than one block to be set simultaneously.  To put into more precise terms,  the primer annealing temperatures are necessary for the optimization process.

3.  Look For Flexibility And Design Of The Thermocyclers

When you consider your lab’s efficiency and productivity, it is also more important to consider the number of reactions you require to do. In a single run of PCR, some researchers perform multiple reactions. For that case, your thermal cycler should be consistent enough to carry out the reaction.  Here, the design of the thermal cycler determines the number of reactions you perform. So, you have to be very sure while choosing the thermal cycler’s rate of reactions per PCR.

Some thermal cyclers come up with interchangeable blocks that can be swapped as per the requirements.  While some thermal cyclers come with a single block, which limits the use of many reactions in a single run of PCR.  An ideal thermocycler should be more flexible so that it can perform multiple reaction cycles at a time. Many good thermal cyclers use multiple block methods for performing polymerase chain reactions.

4.  Look For Reliability, Quality, And Durability Of Thermocycler

When you purchase a thermal cycler for your lab, you invest in it.  So, you should choose the most right thermal cycler which can withstand high levels of use in the lab. Go well with the environmental stresses and have good reliable methods to generate results. The ideal thermal cycler should be high in durability, so many types of lab experiments can be done with the PCR machine. Look for the reliability, quality, and durability of the thermal cyclers before making any investment in the thermocyclers for your laboratory.

Conclusion

The thermocyclers are called automated PCR machines as they execute the PCR steps themselves.  Choosing the right thermocycler for your laboratory’s experiments is a tedious task. But with the above tips, you can land your perfect thermal cycler. Know your own lab’s availability before setting out for the purchase of a thermal cycler.  Design and flexibility are a must feature for the thermal cycler for executing all types of PCR reactions and other experiments.