By Caren B. Les, News Editor[email protected] Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the workhorse of biological analysis, is used in areas ranging from criminal investigations and disease diagnosis to biological research. Sometimes referred to as “molecular photocopying,” it is the test, for example, that determines whether a strand of hair found at a crime scene matches that of a certain suspect. The technique, which incorporates optical components and fluorescence, uses a heat-resistant DNA polymerase from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus to accurately replicate manifold small segments of DNA for genetic and molecular...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaArticlesRaman Spectroscopy-Based Detection of Skin Cancer to Guide SurgeryA research team at the University of Nottingham has developed an autofluorescence-Raman spectroscopy technique that aims to streamline surgery to remove skin cancer. 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