A Low-Cost Approach to PCR: Appropriate Transfer of Biomolecular Techniques

"Makes the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique more accessible to researchers, physicians, and laboratory workers throughout the world. Describes the theoretical basis of the technique, practical details, and the philosophy behind the technology transfer program that the author has developed over the past 10 years. A low-cost approach is outlined for use in the study of infectious diseases, which can be applied to other technologies and applications. This approach is especially useful for laboratories in developing countries, and in high school undergraduate and continuing education programs in the US. Appendices give information on construction of equipment, and contain sample charts and worksheets. Includes b&w photos of equipment, and of men and women performing lab procedures. The author is on the faculty of the School of Public Health at UC-Berkeley."--SciTech BookNews

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique used to replicate specific pieces of DNA millions of times, which permits the detection and analysis of minute amounts of nucleic acids. Since its introduction in the late 1980s, this technique has been applied not only in molecular biology research but also in fields as diverse as anthropology, phylogeny, and forensics. However, despite the large impact of PCR, many of its applications remain within the confines of research and the academic environment. Now, in A Low-Cost Approach to PCR: Appropriate Transfer of Biomolecular Techniques, Dr. Eva Harris makes this elegantly simple technique more accessible to researchers, physicians, and laboratory workers throughout the world. She provides a description of the theoretical basis of the technique, the practical details of the method, and the philosophy behind the technology transfer program that she developed over the last ten years. The book serves as a guide for potential users in developing countries and for scientists in developed countries who may wish to work abroad. In addition, the low-cost approach outlined in this book can be useful for high school, undergraduate, or continuing education programs in the United States. While the specific applications of PCR outlined in the book are immediately useful to the study of infectious diseases, the approach presented can be generalized to a number of other technologies and situations. The book will help laboratories in many areas of the world generate information on site for use by physicians, epidemiologists, public health workers, and health policy professionals to develop new strategies for disease control.

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