wiki noortje heat-stable (thermostable) DNA polymerase extracted from the thermophilic bacteria; Thermus aquaticus
Tips for using Taq DNA polymerase
- Taq DNA polymerase is very expensive and should always be stored in a freezer at –20C.
- If you want to use this enzyme; go to the freezer with an ice container filled with ice and water, ask for the enzyme and store this on ice-water immediately.
- To avoid contamination of the enzyme with strange DNA you should always use new sterile pipette tips for each pipetting action. After pipetting the enzyme immediately bring it back to the freezer.
- Pipette the sterile Milli-Q water first, followed by the PCR buffer, the primer solutions, dNTP solution, MgCl2 solution and Taq DNA polymerase. Finally the plasmid DNA (pGFPuv) is added to the mixture.
- Because of the high viscosity of the Taq DNA polymerase solution you should pay attention that at the outside of the tip no small droplets of the enzyme are visible (the pipetting volume is then not correct).
- Pipette each solution at a different area on the wall of the vial.
- Pay attention (with your eyes) that a small droplet of liquid indeed sticks to the wall of the vial.