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**PCRcheology**  **About Us** PCRcheology is a laboratory that conducts evolutionary research. Through the use of PCR technology, we are able to amplify DNA to compare it to the DNA of bones found in archeological digs in the United States to examine evolutionary changes over long periods of time. Here at PCRcheology, we have specialized in comparing the DNA of organisms past and present on the East coast since 1999, and are in partnership with numerous digs in the area doing biological analysis of their findings. **The Founder** Zara Gotham grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where she graduated from Freedom High School in 1989. She received her masters degree from Purdue University in biotechnology with a minor in bioarcheology. She devoted 4 years of her life to interning at various archeological sites around the world, before returning to the USA to start her own research facility.

**History of PCR Technology** PCR technology was invented by a man named Kary Mullis in 1985 while working for the Cetus Corporation in California. It was, in its early stages, a very slow procedure because the whole thing had to be done manually. So, Mullis and his colleagues teamed up with the Perkin Elmer Corporation and eventually created the DNA Thermal Cycler, or the PCR Machine. Mullis was awarded the Nobel Prize and the Japan Prize for developing this revolutionary technology.

**How it Works**  The amplification proceeds as follows: The DNA sample is heated to denature the DNA, then the temperature is lowered to allow the DNA primers to hydrogen bond to the target DNA region. The temperature is raised again to allow the Taq polymerase to attach to the primers and copy the DNA. These steps are repeated over and over for a few hours, until you have more than a billion copies of the DNA segment. Still confused? Check out this animation from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: http://www.dnalc.org/resources/animations/pcr.html



**Current Uses** This technique is used in various fields. It is used for medical research to identify infectious diseases and genetic mutations. It can amplify DNA from crime scenes for forensic analysis, and allows scientists to compare ancient DNA with modern DNA.

**The //Future...//** PCRcheology is looking into ways to improve their technology for the future. We are researching ways to make PCR equipment smaller and easier to transport so we can do on site analysis of skeletons or single bones found at archeological digs. Smaller machines would also be able to heat and cool faster than the current equipment, which would speed up the process a considerable amount.

<span style="color: #9d13e4; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Sources** <span style="color: #808080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The History of PCR.” //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wiki_link_ext">siarchives.si.edu //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 18 January 2012. Web. <http://siarchives.si.edu/research/videohistory_catalog9577.html> <span style="color: #808080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Polymerase Chain Reaction.” //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wiki_link_ext">dnalc.org //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 20 January 2012. Web. <http://www.dnalc.org/resources/animations/pcr.html> <span style="color: #808080; font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Powledge, Tabitha M. “The Polymerase Chain Reaction.” //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wiki_link_ext">nhlcyberfamily.org //<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 22 January 2012. Web. <http://www.nhlcyberfamily.org/tests/pcr.htm>