The Highlight HEALTH Network

Just in time for the holidays, Highlight HEALTH and the Highlight HEALTH Web Directory now offer an aggregated news feed.

The Highlight HEALTH Network is currently an aggregation of content from two news feeds:

  • Highlight HEALTH
  • The Highlight HEALTH Web Directory: New Additions
UPDATE: February 5th, 2008

The Highlight HEALTH Network now includes a third source:
Highlight HEALTH 2.0

DNA Amplification by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

What does the diagnosis of hereditary diseases, the detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases, personalized DNA sequencing, DNA cloning, genetic functional analysis, genetic fingerprinting and DNA-based phylogeny have in common?

The all employ a widely used molecular technique called polymerase chain reaction or PCR.

The idea was conceived by Kary Mullis in the early 1980s and was first described, albeit briefly, in an article investigating the mutation that causes sickle cell anemia [1]. The details of the method and its uses were discussed in greater detail over the next two years [2-3]. PCR revolutionized molecular genetics by allowing rapid duplication and analysis of DNA.