PCR 2: A Practical Approach

PCR is now an indispensable tool for the molecular biologist, heralding an era of unparalleled research productivity. The basic PCR technique provides the cornerstone of in vitro DNA amplification, upon which further features can be built to expand the range of PCR-based applications. PCR 2: A Practical Approach is not a revised version of PCR: A Practical Approach, but sets out to address some of the exciting new applications of PCR and so it is complementary to the original volume. The book starts with an essential guide for improving PCRs, then deals with the use of modified primers and the direct sequencing of PCR products. The focus then switches to mRNA and covers cDNA cloning, mRNA quantitation, and direct expression of proteins from PCR products. Finally genomic DNA analysis is addressed including genome mapping and fingerprinting, the analysis of mutations, and the direct sequencing and analysis of methylation patterns. The book is essential reading for all researchers in molecular biology and related disciplines.