View Full Profile. Learn about our Editorial Policies. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a fundamental molecular biology tool that scientists use to amplify and analyze genetic material, such as DNA ...

Grammatical or spelling errors on labels Related: The 7 Best At-Home COVID-19 Tests, Tested and Reviewed Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are considered the "gold standard" for COVID-19 tests.

It is possible to reduce the number of PCR cycles to minimize polymerase-induced errors. Touchdown PCR conditions minimize the formation of nonspecific amplification products, but are not required.