On 23 June, the AI&I Technician Committee organised the AI&I Technician Seminar “Amplifying Knowledge: Mastering PCR Step by Step.” For this seminar, they invited Dirk Duinsbergen, Field Application Scientist at Thermo Fisher and specialist in qPCR. He guided participants through all aspects of (q)PCR, from setting up experiments to data analysis and troubleshooting.
What are PCR and qPCR?
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a fundamental molecular biology technique used to make millions of copies of a specific piece of DNA. It allows researchers to detect, identify and study genes with high sensitivity, even when only tiny amounts of DNA are available. Quantitative PCR (qPCR), also known as real-time PCR, goes a step further by measuring how much DNA is present in a sample. This is essential for applications such as gene expression analysis, viral load quantification and diagnostics.
Around 20 technicians from different locations attended. After the seminar, the group continued the discussion over a borrel, providing an opportunity to network, exchange experiences and ask additional PCR-related questions.
The seminar was very well received by AI&I technicians keen to deepen their understanding of specific techniques, and the Technician Committee is eager to organise more events like this.
A big thank you to the AI&I Technician Committee members for organising this successful event: Tanja Kaptein, Laura Kruijssen, Katarina Olesek and Nienke Haverkate.
Join the Technician Committee
Would you like to help organise seminars, borrels and other activities? The AI&I Technician Committee is looking for new members. If you are interested in joining, please send an email to aii@amsterdamumc.nl.