Learn About COVID-19 Testing

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enables researchers to produce billions of copies of a specific DNA sequence and is a featured technique in several DNALC-developed laboratory protocols. Participants in our field trips, camps, and workshops have been doing PCR experiments since 1995!

Check out these additional resources:

• LabCorp COVID-19 Testing Overview: Go inside a lab and see how one company performs tests for COVID-19.
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (Interactive): Click through this animation to follow PCR amplification step-by-step. Then look at the amplification graph to see how many DNA molecules are produced after 30 cycles of PCR.
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (Video): Watch this narrated 3d animation of pcr at the molecular level.

Other related links:

• Some viruses store genetic information in RNA : This animation from DNA from the Beginning gives a detailed look at the Nobel-winning discovery of the enzyme reverse transcriptase, which allows SARS-CoV-2 to convert RNA into DNA.
• Why your kid can explain the COVID-19 test : Learn one student's experience with PCR in this Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory news story.
• The Bumbling Biochemist: Brianna Bibel is a graduate student studying biochemistry and structural biology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's Watson School of Biological Sciences. Her blog explains fundamentals of biochemistry, including several COVID-19 resources, and provides a window into the life of a biomedical science Ph.D. student.