what is pcr

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a laboratory technique used to amplify small segments of DNA. It was first developed in the mid-1980s by Kary Mullis, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 for his pioneering work. PCR involves using short synthetic DNA fragments called primers to select a segment of the genome to be amplified, and then multiple rounds of DNA synthesis to amplify that segment. The reaction is repeatedly cycled through a series of temperature changes, which allow many copies of the target region to be produced. PCR has many research and practical applications, including DNA cloning, medical diagnostics, and forensic analysis of DNA.