Real-time thermocyclist, what is it? and uses

A real-time thermocyclist is a specialized tool used in molecular biology laboratories to efficiently and quickly carry out real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). This is achieved by automatic and cyclical temperature changes required for the amplification of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) chain; from a thermostable enzyme.

This type of thermocyclist has a novel coupled optical system, which monitors the signal of the fluorophores used to detect the amplified product. Because the fluorescence of these increases as the product is amplified, the amplification and detection processes are combined in a single stage. There are currently different types of thermocyclists in real time, whose main differences are the energy source, which they use for excitation. There are usually three types of sources: light lamps, light emission diodes (LEDs) and lasers.

What is real-time PCR?

The purpose of qPCR is to detect and quantify specific sequences of nucleic acids through fluorescent molecules in the reaction, in which the increase in fluorescence will be proportional to the increase in the amount of amplified DNA molecules in the reaction.

Please note that the principle of this technique is based on the PCR endpoint, only the way amplification products are detected and analyzed is different. The actual term refers to that the detection of the amplified products occurs in each reaction cycle. And the quantitative term is that you can quantify the amount of the sample.

This technique has important features such as high specificity, wide range of detection and speed in product display. Real-time PCR systems include a thermocycler and a unit capable of detecting fluorescent signals to monitor the progress of the amplification reaction, as well as software for data analysis.

It also uses fluorophores in order to track DNA amplification during real-time PCR, which may be DNA-affinity (SYBR Green) or DNA-fragment-specific probes (Taqman probes).

Use of a real-time thermocycler

Real-time thermocyclers are designed to deliver stable temperature, exceptional optical performance, accuracy and accuracy. These instruments are widely used in various fields such as scientific research, clinical detection and diagnosis, forensic applications and quality assurance tests.

Kalstein real-time thermocycler

At Kalstein we are manufacturers of lab equipment of the highest quality and at the best prices on the market, so we put at your disposal the real-time PCR system a high performance desktop instrument that will give you greater control of the data during your experiments. This equipment offers reliability, sensitivity and precision, optimized to allow the widest range of quantitative PCR applications, it has the following characteristics:

  • Innovative Optical Design
  • Two-channel (YR01869-1/2) five-channel (YR01869-1/2) fluorescent detection system with LED light source and high resolution CCD
  • The optical system automatically collects data from all wells during data acquisition at the same time.
  • YR01869-1/2 can discriminate up to five targets in a single reaction well.
  • Optical filter sets are designed to maximize fluorescence detection for specific dyes in specific channels.
  • Open system compatible with different reagents and consumables.

For more information we invite you to have a look HERE