Efficiency of DNA replication in the Polymerase Chain Reactio

TL;DR

This paper develops a kinetic model for PCR, revealing a new multi-modal distribution phenomenon in the number of DNA copies for small initial molecule counts, influenced by physical parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a novel kinetic model for PCR and uncovers a multi-modal distribution phenomenon using branching process theory.

Findings

Multi-modal distribution of DNA copies for small initial molecules

The distribution shape depends on physical parameters

Limiting behavior varies with initial molecule count

Abstract

We present a detailed kinetic model for the Polymerase Chain Reaction, and model the probability of replication in terms of the physical parameters of the problem. Applying the theory of branching processes, we show the existance of a new phenomenon affecting the probability distribution function of the number of replicants: for small number of initial molecules, the limiting behavior (with increasing number of cycles) of the pdf is represented by a multi-modal funtion.