Extraction is the technique of removing nucleic acids (DNA and/or RNA) from surrounding cellular material and is the first step before subsequent molecular analysis.

Click here to learn about extraction equipment.

Nucleic acid amplification uses purified enzymes to isolate and replicate specific nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) to levels where they can be detected. Target amplification techniques identify a target sequence that is isolated and copied many times, while regions outside the target are not amplified. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligase chain reaction (LCR) and transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) are examples of target amplification. In signal amplification techniques, the target quantity remains the same while the increase in the number of detectable markers for the target sequence is quantified. Serial invasive amplification (Invader® chemistry) and hybrid capture are examples of signal amplification.

Return to Instrumentation Section

References

• Text – Bruns, David E, et al. (2007) Fundamentals of Molecular Diagnostics. Saunders
• Text – http://www.biochem.northwestern.edu/holmgren/Glossary/Definitions/Def-N/nucleic_acid_ampl_assay.html