PCR & amplification
Every PCR is a fidelity/speed/robustness trade-off made at the polymerase. Routine genotyping wants a fast, inhibitor-tolerant Taq; cloning a PCR product into a plasmid wants proofreading fidelity; a target over 5 kb wants a long-range blend, and RT-PCR adds a reverse transcription step before any of that starts.
Reverse transcribe (RNA input only)
For RT-PCR or RT-qPCR, convert RNA to cDNA first with a reverse transcriptase, check thermostability and processivity if your template has secondary structure or you need a single-tube one-step protocol.
Amplify
Pick a DNA polymerase by what the downstream step needs: standard Taq for routine or colony PCR, a proofreading (3'→5' exonuclease) polymerase for anything that gets cloned or sequenced, hot-start chemistry to cut primer-dimer, or a long-range blend past 5 kb.
Verify by digest (optional)
Restriction-digest the amplicon to confirm identity by fragment pattern before you sink time into cloning or sequencing a PCR product that turned out to be off-target.
Size on a gel
Run product against a DNA ladder on agarose to confirm amplicon size and check for nonspecific bands or primer-dimer before moving to the next step.
High-Fidelity Hot-Start Polymerase, Pfu-Sso7d Fusion (2 units/µL)
High-Fidelity Hot-Start DNA Polymerase with GC Enhancer (2 units/µL)
Every product below is pulled live from the catalog, not hand-curated marketing copy.
Taq or a high-fidelity proofreading polymerase?
Standard Taq lacks 3'→5' proofreading exonuclease activity and has a measurable error rate, fine for genotyping or colony screening where you're just checking presence/absence or size, but a real liability if the product gets cloned or sequenced. Use a proofreading polymerase for anything downstream that depends on sequence accuracy.
Do I need hot-start chemistry?
Hot-start polymerases stay inactive until the initial denaturation temperature releases an antibody or aptamer block, preventing primer-dimer and nonspecific priming during setup at room temperature. Worth it for multiplex PCR, low-abundance targets, or any reaction assembled on the bench rather than on ice.
What changes for a target over 5 kb?
Long-range amplification needs a polymerase blend (typically a high-processivity enzyme plus a small fraction of a proofreading enzyme) and a longer, carefully tuned extension time, a standard Taq will drop off well before it reaches the end of a 10 kb amplicon.
What's the difference between qPCR and standard PCR reagents?
qPCR master mixes are formulated for real-time fluorescence detection (dye- or probe-based) and optimized for fast cycling with consistent amplification efficiency across the reaction, using a standard endpoint PCR mix on a qPCR instrument will run, but the efficiency and Ct precision usually suffer.
More application workflows, curated products, and category links live on the applications hub. Datasheets, SDS, and Certificates of Analysis are under Documents.