Set up your thermocycler

Learning goals

  • You should be able to program your thermocyler and operate it

Video: How to use your thermocycler

Watch this video to learn about your thermocycler and how to use it.

Video: Genes in space

The miniPCR thermocycler that you are using has been used to amplify DNA on the international space station.

Download the miniPCR app

This lets you set up your PCR program and see what your thermocycler is doing as it cycles through temperatures.

miniPCR™ mini8 is compatible with:

  • Windows (USB)

  • Mac OS (USB)

  • Android (USB host-enabled devices via OTG adapter)

  • Amazon Fire (USB or Bluetooth)

  • Chrome OS (USB)

  • Note: it is not compatible with iPhone or iPad, and I couldn't get it to work with my Fire. It worked well on a Mac though.

MiniPCR instruction manual

  • Read this instruction manual to learn how to use your miniPCR mini8 thermocycler

  • Start with p.6 "Getting Started"

Enter your PCR program into the miniPCR app

Watch this video for a tutorial

Enter this program for PCR1 into the miniPCR app:

  1. 95˚C 3 minutes [180 sec, not 120 like I said in the video] This denatures the two strands of genomic DNA (splits them apart).

  2. 98˚C 20 seconds This denatures the newly synthesized strands at the beginning of each cycle

  3. 51˚C 15 seconds This allows the primers to anneal (bind) to the DNA where it is complementary

  4. 72˚C 30 seconds This is the optimal temperature for polymerase activity, so new DNA is synthesized

  5. go to 2 and repeat 35 times Steps 2-4 are repeated over and over to synthesize many copies of DN

  6. 72˚C 1 minute This allows any strands that may not have been synthesized to completion to finish extension