Surface characterization of micro litre PCR chip

Abstract

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the development of miniaturized PCR chips for medical and biological applications .Real time PCR is one of the emerging molecular diagnostic techniques with high sensitivity for cancer and other infectious diseases. With the advent of miniature sized PCRs, the sample size is reduced and the thermal cycling times are increased which in turn leads to an increase in copies of DNA fragments. The blood sample henceforth used for testing is very little in comparison to the time where quite voluminous amount was drawn, thanks to the modern equipments (micro needles, PCR etc). The blood carries a vital component called DNA which is carrier of genetic and other information required for the determining the crux of any disease. Though there are various other sources of DNA such as hair strands, semen, saliva, bone, tissue and urine, blood is universally preferred.