**PCR Contamination in Colony Screening: A Solution to Avoid False Positives** **Tübingen, Germany** - Researchers have developed a method to prevent false positives in colony screening using real-time PCR (qPCR). This technique is an alternative to traditional end-point PCR for screening genetically transformed microalgae cells. Colony-polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) is commonly used to screen transformed microalgae colonies. However, contamination can arise during PCR, leading to false positives. This can occur when template plasmid contaminates PCR reagents, resulting in the amplification of non-specific products. In their study, Wybranietz and Ulrich Lauer from the Medical University Clinic Tübingen report an approach to address this issue. They recommend designing the PCR backbone to avoid sequences that may be present in the template plasmid. By implementing this approach, researchers can prevent false positives from contaminating ligation reaction components. This results in improved accuracy and reliability in colony screening using real-time PCR. The findings provide a valuable solution to a common problem in microalgae transformation experiments. By avoiding false positives, researchers can more confidently identify transformed colonies and ensure the accuracy of their results.
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