Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Polymerase Chain Reaction

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique widely used in genetic research for amplifying and detecting specific DNA and RNA sequences. It allows researchers to create a large quantity of DNA or RNA copies from a very small amount of starting material, allowing for more extensive and thorough analysis. The PCR …

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 49× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2575-7881 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique widely used in genetic research for amplifying and detecting specific DNA and RNA sequences. It allows researchers to create a large quantity of DNA or RNA copies from a very small amount of starting material, allowing for more extensive and thorough analysis. The PCR process involves three main steps: denaturation, annealing, and extension. During the denaturation step, double-stranded DNA is heated to separate the strands. In the annealing step, primers are annealed to the target DNA sequences. Primers are short, synthetic DNA pieces that essentially "bookend" the target sequence and provide the starting point for DNA synthesis. During the extension step, DNA polymerase extends the primers' 3' end and synthesizes new DNA strands. One of the key advantages of PCR is its sensitivity, allowing researchers to detect even rare DNA or RNA targets. This technique is particularly useful in medical research, where it can be used to diagnose various diseases, including genetic disorders and infections. In addition, using PCR, researchers can analyze gene expression in different tissues and organisms, identify mutations, and study genetic variation among populations. Overall, PCR has revolutionized the field of molecular biology and continues to be an essential tool for genetic research. With the ability to create millions of copies of a specific DNA or RNA sequence from just a few molecules, researchers have been able to investigate genetic diversity, evolution, and disease diagnosis with unprecedented precision and sensitivity.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 49 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Polymerase Chain Reaction, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in DNA And RNA Research (ISSN 2575-7881).

Journal editorial board
jianhui zhang · United States Omid Iravani · singapore Masayoshi Yamaguchi · United States

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.