Team:Paris Saclay/PS-PCR/detailed description

From 2013.igem.org

Revision as of 21:56, 16 September 2013 by Damip (Talk | contribs)

Navigation Home Team Project Labwork Notebook Human practices

PSPCR

The Paris-Saclay open source PCR thermal cycler project.

Motivation

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is a very useful procedure in the field of synthetic biology. However, this technique requires a device called a thermal cycler, which is designed to cycle the samples through different temperature steps. Commercial PCR thermal cyclers are traditionally very expensive, with prices starting at $2000, which makes them hard to afford for small labs and DIY projects.

This project aims at creating a thermal cycler for under 30€ with easily accessible parts.

Comparison with other open source projects

Some open source PCR thermal cycler projects already exist, but the aim of the PSPCR project is to provide a better and more affordable system.

Project Price Discussion
[http://openpcr.org/ OpenPCR] $649 Heated lid, good performance but still expensive.
[http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-PCR-thermal-cycler-for-under-85/ Arduino PCR] $85 No heated lid, room for only 2 tubes, fan-only cooling.
[http://lavaamp.wordpress.com/ LavaAmp] "pennies" No data available, probably slow with no heated lid.
PSPCR Under 30€ Fast heating/cooling, 16 slots, heated lid.

Retrieved from "http://2013.igem.org/Team:Paris_Saclay/PS-PCR/detailed_description"