polymerase chain reaction
noun
: an in vitro technique for rapidly synthesizing large quantities of a given DNA segment that involves separating the DNA into its two complementary strands, using DNA polymerase to synthesize two-stranded DNA from each single strand, and repeating the process
—abbreviation PCR
Examples of polymerase chain reaction in a Sentence
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Officials noted at the time that the method used to find H5N1 in milk—highly sensitive quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing—could not confirm the presence of live virus.
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Ed Cara / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 May 2024
Authorities used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing, which can detect viral DNA particles, but does not identify whether those bits of DNA are capable of replicating or causing disease.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for polymerase chain reaction 
Ed Cara / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 May 2024
Authorities used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing, which can detect viral DNA particles, but does not identify whether those bits of DNA are capable of replicating or causing disease.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for polymerase chain reaction
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polymerase chain reaction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Polymerase chain reaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polymerase%20chain%20reaction. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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