Novel Convective Flow Based Approaches for High-Throughput PCR Thermocycling

A critical need exists for the development of next-generation genomic analysis instrumentation capable of offering significantly higher throughput at a lower cost than current technology. In this paper, we explore the potential of natural convection-based systems to address these issues by providing a thermocycling hardware platform capable of performing rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA. These systems can be arrayed in a multi-well format that is simple to operate, is suitable for integration with high-throughput automated liquid handling systems, and can be easily and inexpensively mass-produced.