PCR Thermal Cycler

A PCR thermal cycler (or PCR machine) is a laboratory instrument that automates the repeated heating and cooling of DNA or RNA samples to drive the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Key Features & Function

• Thermal Cycling: Uses a solid-state Peltier block to rapidly shift temperatures through the three core PCR stages: denaturation (high heat to split strands), annealing (cooling for primers to bind), and extension (moderate heat for DNA synthesis).
• Heated Lid: Prevents sample evaporation and condensation on tube walls during multi-cycle runs.
• Capacity & Formats: Typically features 96-well blocks for microplates/tubes, with options for gradient optimization, real-time (qPCR) fluorescence detection, or portable field use.
• Applications: Widely used in clinical diagnostics, pathogen detection, genetic research, forensics, and DNA cloning.