AllTaq PCR Core Kit (1000 u)

A hot-start PCR kit from QIAGEN, intended for molecular biology applications, providing highly sensitive and specific amplification from any DNA/cDNA template. It serves as the successor to the discontinued HotStarTaq Plus and Fast Cycling PCR Kit product lines.

AllTaq DNA Polymerase is a modified form of a recombinant 94 kDa DNA polymerase, originally isolated from Thermus aquaticus. It is held in an inactive state at ambient temperature by an antibody and a novel guard additive, which together form a guard-protected hot-start mechanism that prevents non-specific amplification and primer-dimer formation. The enzyme is activated by a 2-minute, 95°C incubation step or a 3-minute, 93°C incubation step, enabling reliable detection of as low as a single target molecule. The kit supports an ultrafast 45-minute protocol, amplifies difficult or long targets up to 9 kb, handles GC-rich templates, and is suitable for duplex reactions. Reaction setup can be performed entirely at room temperature, and prepared samples remain stable at room temperature for more than 3 days before cycling.

Kit components include AllTaq PCR Buffer (5x), Q-Solution (5x), dNTP Mix (10 mM each), MgCl2 (25 mM), and RNase-Free Water. Optional blue PCR Template Tracer (25x) and orange PCR Master Mix Tracer (125x) serve as visual pipetting controls; when combined, the colour changes to green to confirm template addition. The inert dyes also act as gel loading and tracking dyes, running at approximately 50 bp (orange) and 4000 bp (blue) on a 1% agarose gel. Q-Solution facilitates amplification of templates with high secondary structure or high GC content. The kit is shipped on dry ice and stored at –15 to –30°C, while the tracers and master mix can also be stored at 2–8°C. Each lot is tested under QIAGEN's ISO-certified Quality Management System.