About the author

Clontech Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takara Bio Inc., develops, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of life science research reagents under the Clontech and Takara brands. Key products include high-performance PCR reagents (including the TITANIUM™, and Advantage® enzyme mixes); RT enzymes and SMART™ library construction kits; the innovative In-Fusion™ cloning system; Tet-based inducible gene expression systems; and a range of MACHEREY-NAGEL nucleic acid purification tools. These and other products support applications including gene discovery, regulation, and function; protein expression and purification; RNAi and stem cell studies; and plant and food research. For more information, visit clontech.com.

Clontech has released Terra PCR Direct Polymerase Mix, featuring a robust, non-Taq DNA polymerase that allows direct PCR to be performed on animal and plant tissues. This new DNA polymerase mix eliminates the need for time-consuming and expensive sample preparation (i.e., cell lysis, DNA extraction, and DNA purification). Terra PCR Direct Polymerase Mix performs well in the presence of PCR inhibitors, and easily amplifies templates with GC-content greater than 70%. In addition, the polymerase mix exhibits a high degree of sensitivity, allowing the preservation of rare samples.

This adaptable DNA polymerase is also featured in their new Terra qPCR Direct SYBR® Premix, a 2X master mix that allows real-time PCR (qPCR) to be performed directly on crude extracts (e.g., from mouse tail and ear biopsies, or leaf cuttings) or dirty samples. It’s perfect for high throughput genotyping of transgenic mice. The master mix contains everything needed for qPCR, including Terra PCR Direct Polymerase Mix, SYBR Green I dye, and a monoclonal antibody for automatic hot start. For more information about Terra PCR Direct products, visit the Terra Direct PCR page.