12 Things to rememeber while Setting up a PCR Reaction This is a guest post by one of the blog readers. Consumables for setting up a PCR reaction such as PCR Tubes, Pipettes, PCR Racks should be cleaned with Hypo and then expose to UV for atleast 20 minutes. Before Setting up a PCR reaction Wash Hands,Wear Gloves. Always use Aerosol barrier tips (ART - Aerosol Resistant pipette Tips) for setting up PCR reaction, changing tips for each step. Use PCR grade water for diluting the stocks and for setting up a PCR Reaction. Use separate rooms for performing Mastermix preparation, Sample addition & Post PCR. Always use fresh aliquot of Reagents. Reagents for PCR should be thawed completely,vortex it and centrifuge before use. Never enter Post PCR room before setting up your Reaction. Accurate Pipette handling is must - Use calibrated pipettes. Start the PCR Reaction immediately after setting up the reaction this will help in avoiding Primer dimer formation. Positive and Negative controls should be kept in each PCR reaction without that PCR reaction is not considered as valid. Always perform PCR in Duplicates or in Triplicates. Make Sure you have cross checked the calculations before proceeding with the reaction. Contamination in PCR lab is a Disaster....!!! Handle PCR Products (amplicon) Carefully. Got something to say about this post? Leave a comment...your comments are valuable for improving the posts.