Assessment of DNA Yield and Purity: an Overlooked Detail of PCR Troubleshooting

Determination of nucleic acid concentration and purity is important for downstream applications, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex PCR. There are several methods for quantifying and characterizing DNA, and results describing concentration and purity vary by the extraction method, as well as by the DNA quantification method used. Understanding the methods used for quantification and purity measurements of DNA may aid laboratory scientists when troubleshooting PCR and help them to determine the best extraction method for each application.