Nonbiological Applications

  • Gavin Dollinger

Abstract

PCR can be only as useful in industry as DNA is, it being merely the tool that makes DNA accessible. This section accordingly first discusses the characteristics that make this biopolymer applicable to industry. Unlike statistical copolymers, which it might at first glance seem to resemble, the DNA biopolymer has impressive information storage potential in its primary structure. The industrial possibilities for DNA as a repository of information, using PCR in the elucidation of that information, are detailed. In particular, the case is argued that DNA could be used as a submicroscopic tag—a “taggant”—on commercial products to help in their identification or control their distribution, using PCR. On another tack, the secondary and higher order structural characteristics of the DNA biopolymer are shown to have potential in the new field of nanotechnology. The use of PCR in the building of DNA-based microstructures is explained.

Keywords

High Order Structure Storage Density High Information Content Taggant Molecule Related Emergency 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 1994

Authors and Affiliations

  • Gavin Dollinger

There are no affiliations available

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