Nanomaterials’s Effect on Polymerase Chain Reaction

Polymerase chain reaction is a critical scientific technique in molecular biology. With the higher demand of PCR, recently, researchers have demonstrated various effects that take place when nanomaterials (NNMTs) are used as additives in PCR, which is defined here as Nano-PCR. Quantitative and qualitative understanding of the effect of NNMTs on PCR after adding different NNMTs into PCR systems has also emerged. Nano-PCR has become a hot topic in the fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology. In addition, understanding the fundamental mechanism of the effects of NNMTs on PCR is of paramount importance because these effects impact directly the ability to develop nano-PCR systems with high specificity, efficiency, sensitivity, fidelity and repeatability and to optimize NNMTs. In this paper, we review the effect of NNMTs on important PCR profiles, and their underlying mechanisms of action.