The PCR Revolution

Examines the latest innovations and the overall impact of PCR on areas of molecular research.

Part I. Basic Technologies: 1. Real time PCR Mickey Williams; 2. Thermostable enzymes used in PCR Sudip K. Rakshit; 3. Inventing molecular beacons Fred Russell Kramer, Salvatore A. E. Marras and Sanjay Tyagi; 4. Rapid PCR and melting analysis Carl T. Wittwer, Randy P. Rasmussen and Kirk M. Ririe; 5. PCR and fluorescence chemistries: DNA incarnate Ben Sowers; 6. Analysis of microRNA expression by qPCR Vladimir Benes, Jens Stolte, David Ibberson, Mirco Castoldi and Martina Muckenthaler; 7. Miniaturized PCR for quantitative clinical diagnostics Melissa Mariani, Lin Chen and Philip J. Day; 8. The road from qualitative to quantitative assay: what is next? Michael W. Pfaffl; 9. Taking control of PCR Tania Nolan, Tanya Novak and Jim Huggett; Part II. Applications: 10. PCR-based methods for the detection of cancer cells in blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes for clinical diagnostic assays Susan A. Burchill; 11. PCR and infectious diseases Jim Huggett; 12. PCR and respiratory viruses Ian Mackay; 13. PCR and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Yang Huanming and Weijun Chen; 14. The MMR vaccine, measles virus, and autism: a cautionary tale Stephen A. Bustin; 15. Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis using cell-free fetal nucleic acids in maternal plasma Y. M. Dennis Lo; 16. PCR-based analyses of nucleic acids from archival material Ulrich Lehmann; 17. Microarrays and qPCR Elisa Wurmbach; 18. PCR in the detection of genetic variation Pui-Yan Kwok; 19. PCR: a blessing and a curse for ancient DNA research Michael Hofreiter and Holger Rompler.